The new Bucks County Justice Center in Doylestown is getting ready to host its first court cases.
Bucks County has begun the process of moving documents, equipment and some furniture from the 1960s-era courthouse to the new 285,000-square-foot Justice Center in Doylestown.
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Until all of the judges are moved to the new building, cases will continue to be heard in the old courthouse, explained Clerk of Courts Mary Smithson.
“We’re going to continue our case processing system without a lapse in court proceedings,” Smithson said.
Boxes in the old courthouses are packed and the move will be completed before the month is over.
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“Diligently, we will be ready for the courts to open,” explained Smithson. “We are prepared, our cases will be ready for the judges, our cases will be ready for the judges, for jury selection.”
PHOTOS: Tour The New Bucks County Justice Center
Smithson explained that once the court opens to it’s full potential, there will be no lapses in court proceedings. “There will be no change,” Smithson affirmed.
Confidential files will be moved in special lockboxes by county workers while everything else will be moved by Hughes Relocation Services Inc. of Lansdale. The Bucks County Commissioners approved the moving contract at their September 17 meeting. The Lansdale company will be paid $124,600.
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As of Tuesday, the Bucks County Sheriff’s Department, Clerk of Courts, District Attorney and Domestic Relations had been relocated to the new Justice Center.
Credit: County of Bucks
District Attorney David Heckler told LevittownNow.com recently that while the offices in the courthouse had sentimental value, he was looking forward to moving to the new building.
At an open house earlier this month, more than 1,200 residents and workers visited the new state-of-the-art building located right across from the current courthouse and county office building.
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“I think this facility is absolutely magnificent. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I drove up to this building,” Falls Township resident Helen Eiseman said at the time.
The new Justice Center is estimated to have cost between $85 and $90 million.
Publisher/Editor Tom Sofield contributed to this report
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Related:
- Public Gets First Look At Bucks County Justice Center
- Bucks County Justice Center Preparing For Opening
- New Bucks County Justice Center Moving Closer to Finish Line
- County to Repurpose Old Courthouse When New One Opens
- County Drops $639K on Chairs for Courthouse
- New $86.5 Million Courthouse Project Moving Along
