Remodeling improves security, functionality of Somerton Municipal Court

SOMERTON For Judge Manuel Figueroa, the remodeling of the Somerton Municipal Court couldn't come too soon.

The building that houses the court was built around 1938, he said, and since the 1980s, it's undergone no renovation.

The problems we had were insufficient space and security risks. For example, with the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program being in the same building, it could happen that prisoners would pass areas where there were children, or the judge had to cross paths with people who had cases in the court.

But a remodeling project undertaken by the city at a cost of nearly $260,000 will improve security and functionality for both employees and the public in the courtroom that handles 7,000 cases annually, Figueroa said.

Renovation of the courtroom at 350 W. Main St. began in August and is nearly wrapped up, with installation of interior and exterior security cameras still to be completed.

It was a total remodeling, Figueroa said. Practically all that remains of the building is the structure and the four walls. It was a necessary project because there was no space and because the entire court needs a professional image. A lot of time people's futures are decided here.

With the redesign, the building has a larger courtroom, an interview room for attorneys and their clients, plus new offices for court employees.

Until 2009, the building housed not only Somerton Municipal Court and the WIC Program, but also the Justice Court that serves south Yuma County. The Justice Court has since been relocated to San Luis, and while the WIC program remains in the Somerton building, the remodeling project has separated program clients from the court.

The remodeling included refurbishing of the building's exterior, floors and ceilings, rewiring and installation of a new telephone system.

As part of new security measures in the building, areas restricted to court employees are equipped with locks that are opened only with a password or through fingerprint identification.

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Remodeling improves security, functionality of Somerton Municipal Court