Bridgeport courthouse getting new name Jan. 1

BRIDGEPORT — For years the state Superior Court courthouse on Main Street has served as one of the last public reminders of the state’s county government system that ended in the early 1970s.

But that all changes on Jan. 1 when the Fairfield Judicial District Courthouse is formally renamed the Bridgeport Judicial District Courthouse.

Following the end of the county government system the state established 13 judicial districts for the state courthouses. But although the courthouse was in Bridgeport, it still retained the name of Fairfield from its Fairfield County roots.

A recently passed law changes that.

“It makes sense,” Chief Court Administrator Elizabeth A. Bozzuto said. “All three of the courthouses in this judicial district are in the city of Bridgeport, not the town of Fairfield. That could confuse someone unfamiliar with the courts, and the change makes clear the location of these facilities.”

State Rep. Steve Stafstrom, DBridgeport, and House co-chair of the General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee, agreed.

“This renaming not only adequately reflects the location of the courthouses but also the central role that Bridgeport plays in the region and the state’s legal community,” Stafstrom said. “I appreciate the Judicial Branch’s swift action to implement the legislative name change.”

The newly renamed Bridgeport Judicial District serves the city of Bridgeport and the towns of Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford and Trumbull. The Bridgeport-based courthouses are the Judicial District Courthouse, 1061 Main St., the Geographical Area No. 2 Courthouse at 172 Golden Hill St. and the Juvenile Courthouse at 60 Housatonic Ave.