Tuesday, April 13, was a notable day for Kaufman County. Kaufman County Judge Hal Richards, led a ceremony that was attended by County officials and employees, as well as other area elected officials and citizens, to break ground on the County’s new Justice Center. This long-awaited project will bring muchneeded upgrades to the County’s judicial system.
“We thank the voters for what they’ve done for us here,” said Judge Richards. Voters approved the construction of the Kaufman County Justice Center in a proposition during the 2019 election. Judge Richards went on to say that the goals of the Justice Center are to improve safety with a dignified building that is also sustainable, all while staying within budget.
Kaufman County’s current courthouse, which the County began using in the mid-1950s, is simply not equipped to handle the case load that the rapidly growing county sees. The current building’s capacity is maxed out, as is its technological capability. Judge Casey Blair spoke at the groundbreaking about the challenges of retrofitting the current Courthouse to make unforeseen necessities, like virtual court, possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the new facility, Judge Blair says it is the plan of County officials to have a court that runs efficiently, enables the public to have proper access to the courts, and expands the safety features available. This new Justice Center provides all of those features for citizens and County officials. “It’s a great day for our county,” Judge Blair commented.
“It’s not about being in a fancy building,” District Attorney Erleigh Wiley added. “It’s about being in a functional building.” The architect for the project, HOK, has worked with rep resentatives from the County to create a facility with different spaces or flows, strategically separating the areas which will be used by County officials, citizens, and inmates. “We’re going to be able to have a functional law enforcement center,” Wiley said. “It’s going to speak well for what we feel is important for our citizens in this community. And that is to have an efficient, safe, and functioning law enforcement center.”
Construction is currently underway, and the new facility is expected to open in the summer of 2022.
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