RSS Feed
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Circuit judge-elect asks for more office space Clarke County Commission Chairman Paul Bradford asked fellow commissioner Patricia DuBose about changes she and her son, Stuart DuBose wanted in the construction of the new courthouse annex during Monday's county commission meeting. Mrs. DuBose and Stuart Du- Bose, who is the Democratic nominee for circuit judge attended a Courthouse Renovation Committee meeting Aug. 10. Stuart DuBose had requested new plans with an extra entrance/exit to the judges' offices and one of the judge's offices considerably smaller than the other. The smaller office was designated as the "visiting" judge's office and the larger office as the resident judge's office. DuBose, of Jackson, would be the resident judge. The other circuit judge, Thomas Baxter, is from Tibbie in Washington County. The First Judicial Circuit encompasses Choctaw, Clarke and Washington counties. Traditionally, a judge makes his main office in his home county with satellite offices in each of the other two. The original plans, agreed upon by a committee of attorneys, judges, representatives of several offices in the courthouse and commissioners, which included Mrs. DuBose, called for one entrance to the judges chambers and both offices were of equal size. During the meeting DuBose told Commissioner Bradford that if the commission did not agree to the changes then it would be their fault if he or another judge were shot. "You were going to propose the revision to the plans to the commission. We had these plans set and then three new sets were sent to the commission by the architect," Bradford said. "We saw no point in going forward with this," Mrs. DuBose responded. "It cost money for these plans. PH & J's [the architect] contact is supposed to be the commission chairman," he said. Mrs. DuBose responded, "I made a request for the plans. I was looking at a private entrance for the judge. I asked for the alternate plans. I thought it would appropriate to look at it." She also told Bradford she would pay for the expense of having the extra plans drawn up. "One judge has a bigger office and the visiting judge has a smaller office. They are both circuit judges. There is no visiting judge. Why at this point change it when we all agreed to it," Bradford asked. "I didn't see that particular office until it came so close," Mrs. DuBose replied. It was estimated that the change would have cost at least an additional $10,000. Stuart DuBose, contacted after the Aug. 10 meeting, said safety was his primary reason for wanting two doors for an entrance and exit from each of the the judge's offices. He explained that he thought space could be taken from one judge's suite of offices to develop a private corridor for both judges to use for entry and exit from their chambers without having to pass through the secretary's office and reception area. DuBose said his idea would have helped ensure the judges' safety and also afford them some privacy if they so desired.
But, he said the ruckus his proposal had caused was so great that he was dropping the subject.
|
for larger version       |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
