Franklin County's municipal courthouse went dark this week after inspectors flagged fire code violations, and a section of the building's fire protection system was taken offline for repairs. The Franklin County Municipal Courthouse closed on Wednesday, September 23, for emergency building maintenance and plans to resume normal operations on Monday, September 28.
According to WOSU Public Media, the Columbus Division of Fire identified outstanding fire code violations during a recent inspection. Jodi Andes, a public information officer at the courthouse, said the large number of people who pass through the building each day factored into the decision to close it while the fire protection system underwent repairs; the outstanding violations also influenced the decision. The building's fire suppression system remains operational, and a fire watch protocol has been implemented in the meantime, the station reported.
During the closure, in-custody arraignment hearings will still be held, but the public will not be admitted into the courtroom gallery, and all other cases will be rescheduled, per the same WOSU report.
A Court System Already Stretched Thin
Jennifer Lockrey, the city of Columbus's media relations manager, said employee, court personnel and public safety remains the city's top priority, according to WOSU's report. The city has begun some work on the courthouse, Andes said, and the municipal court says it will continue monitoring that work as repairs progress.
Months of Warnings Before the Shutdown
This week's closure did not come out of nowhere. In late July, Mayor Andrew Ginther announced the city was scrapping plans for a new $335 million municipal courthouse in favor of renovating the existing courthouse, according to WOSU Public Media. The municipal court pushed back hard, releasing an August statement asserting the new building was actually fully funded at $370 million through combined bond and capital investments, a figure that exceeded the city's own $335 million estimate.
City officials estimated canceling the build freed up at least $75 million for those other projects. The courthouse had water damage, black staining and other building concerns; the court also said its courtrooms and restrooms were not ADA-compliant.
Storm Damage Hit the Self-Help Center Weeks Earlier
The building's troubles compounded through the summer. Severe thunderstorms in mid-August caused structural water leaks on the courthouse's 16th floor, damaging the same Self-Help Center that serves more than 100 walk-in visitors daily, according to Matter News.
Separately, the U.S. Department of Justice sued the Franklin County Municipal Court and Judge D'Varga in federal court in late August, challenging a local rule that restricts federal civil immigration arrests inside the courthouse without a judicial warrant, WOSU reported.
The courthouse's own fire code violations have sidelined the court. Hoodline also covered a guilty plea in a toddler's beating. For now, the city says repair work continues with the goal of reopening courtroom doors to the public on Monday.
