The Administrative Judges for the Courts asked in a letter to Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish if they could be included in discussions regarding a potential new Justice Center.
The county said the request from the Judges was made a week prior.
Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas said because of the importance of the Justice System and the public's access to it, the Judges wanted to make the citizens of Cuyahoga County aware of their request.
In the letter, the Judges explained the largest courts in the State of Ohio are located in the Justice Center and the Old Courthouse.
"Courthouse. They are also home to a number of other County agencies. Thousands of State, County and City employees work in both facilities. People from all across Cuyahoga County come to these buildings on a daily basis, whether they are the hundreds summoned for jury duty, those who are subpoenaed to testify in legal actions, or the lawyers and their clients who come to our courts to resolve various legal matters," the Judges said in their letter to Budish.
The Judges said they were concerned about the process used by the County Administration to determine whether a new Justice Center should be constructed.
"It should first be noted that the Court of Appeals, Probate Court and Domestic Relations Court, that have called the Old Courthouse home for over 100 years, do not want to be relocated. Yet, they have not been asked whether the construction of a new facility is in the best interest of the judiciary and the population they serve," the Judges stated. "Neither County Administration nor the consultant, K2M Design, has approached the Court of Appeals, Probate Court or Domestic Relations Court in regards to a proposed need to move to a new Justice Center."
The Judges also said the General Division of the Common Pleas Court and the Cleveland Municipal Court see advantages to staying at the current location and, even though there could be benefits to moving, they have not been presented with any information that would prove to them that it would be best.
