COURTHOUSE

Others, not on a formal list, may be considered nuisances, such as large, heavy mechanical doors at the east entrance that can be difficult to open, or the absence of electrical outlets in the courtrooms’ visitors gallery.

Others are more serious, some attorneys say, and deal with the very functioning of the justice system.

During a recent, four-day trial, defense attorneys had to move over to the prosecutors’ table because a lectern, fixed by electrical conduit in the center of a felony courtroom, blocked their view of witnesses as they testified.

Jon Melvin, the county’s facilities director, said the lectern stations, which hold audio-visual equipment and attorney exhibits, likely can be re-wired to at least one other location in the courtroom.

Completing the building was a long undertaking, he said, and one that may take a a few more tweaks before the final bow.

“It’s every little detail, making sure everything works as designed,” Melvin said.

Security in the new courthouse has been a priority. But for some lawyers used to discussing cases in a common waiting room, it can be confusing.

Defense attorney Christopher Burchinal called the building beautiful but found that during a break in a recent criminal hearing, he was not easily able to meet with his client.

“When I wanted to speak with my client, I had to go back to the judge’s chambers, be buzzed into a holding room and speak through an inch-thick window with no microphone or slot to pass documents,” Burchinal said.

“I had to yell at him to get him to hear me,” he said. And when the door locked, again for security reasons, he had to use his cellphone to call for help to get out.

Melvin said the security glass has holes around its frame, allowing sound transfer. As for documents, they must be handed to deputies first.

The move-in issues are not unique to Delaware, Melvin said. And they’ll certainly lessen with time. Some may simply require people to adjust from the 1860s-era courthouse across the street to the modern one.

“It’s like getting a new car with all the bells and whistles and then deciding which bell and whistle you like and which you don’t.”

“I just think this is a much more user-friendly facility for the way people need to communicate in this business,” said Delaware County Common Pleas Judge David Gormley.

Other new courthouses have had similar adjustment periods.

Before the Madison County Municipal Court opened two years ago, the magistrate’s bench was built several inches too tall for an average-sized judge to see the jury box or witnesses during trial. The bench was rebuilt and lowered and now functions properly.

New Domestic Relations Court Judge Randall Fuller won’t miss his old makeshift chambers: “Right next to the restroom. That was interesting at times.”