Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Page 3
Riverside Presiding Judge Proposes Closing Courthouse
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Riverside Superior Court Presiding Judge Thomas H. Cahraman has proposed closing the Autry Courthouse, effective July 1.
The courthouse, located at 3700A Tachevah Drive in Palm Springs, was intended to be a temporary solution to relieve the court’s congested docket, Cahraman said in a press release.
“At the time we opened Autry, many litigants would have had justice denied had we not opened that courthouse,” the jurist explained, noting that the court has added additional courtrooms throughout the county to try civil cases since that time and that the court has not postponed a civil case for lack of a courtroom in over six months.
“These points, coupled with our current budget difficulties, make the decision to close the Autry courthouse a prudent one,” Cahraman said.
Pursuant to California Rule of Court 10.620(d)(3), the court is seeking input from the public regarding the planned closure before making the final decision. Those who wish to comment are asked to send written comments to the Court Executive Office or to courtwebassistance@riverside.courts.ca.gov.
Comments must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Feb. 19. in order to be considered as part of the final administrative decision, the court said.
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