Thursday, March 3, 2005 | 9:08 a.m.
No one is happier with the opening of a $30 million justice facility in North Las Vegas than Municipal Judge Warren VanLandschoot.
The judge reluctantly boasts that more than 33,000 people went through his chambers in 2004, and that his court scheduled more than 2,100 trials.
VanLandschoot had the busiest court in the state with 8,364 misdemeanor criminal cases filed during fiscal 2004 that ended June 30, up 42 percent during the last four years.
By contrast, Las Vegas Municipal Court judges had 4,710 cases per judge, and Henderson had 2,677 cases per judge, according to an annual report from the Nevada Supreme Court.
That case overload is about to change with the April 5 scheduled opening of the 96,000-square-foot justice center in the North Las Vegas City Hall complex, 2333 Las Vegas Blvd. On Tuesday, the city unveiled the two-story building and gave public tours before departments start moving into it.
The city opened a second Municipal Court department in January. Judge Mark Larson, however, has been sharing VanLandschoot's chambers and courtroom because of the lack of space in the 16,000-square-foot building that opened 12 years ago.
VanLandschoot holds court in the morning and Larson in the afternoon.
"There are just too many people going through one courtroom right now, and this will cut that in half and give us more time to spend with one case," VanLandschoot said. "That is important because we run through things so fast."
Justice hasn't been affected by the overloaded courts, VanLandschoot said, but it has meant a revolving door system when it comes to handling plea agreements. There is little time to talk with defendants about how they ended up in front of him in the first place. That insight with younger offenders who may have a drug addictions or other problems that led them to commit crimes could lead to their getting help, he said.
"You want to know why things are happening to see if you help them get their act together," VanLandschoot said. "Normally, you tell them what they owe and tell them not to get caught again."
VandLandshoot said he's always had trouble finding a visiting judge to take his place and that's prevented him from taking lengthy vacations. Adding a second courtroom will also mean 10-hour workdays instead of the regular 12, he said.
Not only will those going before a judge see a difference with the opening of the new justice facility, there will also be shorter lines for those paying traffic tickets, paying fines or getting processed through the court, city officials said. Today, there are as many as 100 people waiting in line, and lobby seats are usually full, they said.
"We are literally bursting at the seams," said Bob Harary, the assistant director of public works for North Las Vegas. "How bad is it? The staff area has desks one right after another. The courtroom has standing room only and in the front lobby during peak hours. There is no place to sit. We are going from rags to riches."
The $30 million price tag for the facility includes land, construction costs and furniture, Harary said. The city constructed the triple-domed justice building on a vacant 8.25-acre parcel it obtained in May 2000.
"This is an exciting and beautiful project and in contrast to other justice facilities in the valley is on time and under budget," said Councilwoman Stephanie Smith.
No tax dollars will be used for bonds that funded the project, Finance Director Phil Stoeckinger said. Instead, the bonds will be paid with court fines and with the $11 million to $12 million the city earns a year from housing federal prisoners, he said.
The justice facility is tied into the jail with a secured walkway where inmates will be escorted to court. There is also video arraignment and video visitation, and the jail's booking and release facilities have been expanded to hold more inmates, said North Las Vegas Police spokesman Tim Bedwell.
"We have grown tremendously and it puts everything in a safe environment as far as moving prisoners back and forth," Bedwell said.
Currently, many of the jail administrators are working out of portable trailers connected to the jail. They will move to the second floor of the new justice facility. The second floor will also offices for the court and city attorneys.
About 160 people are expected to work in the building, which has a third courtroom that will be needed in about two years, officials said. The design of the building allows for addition of 30,000 square feet, but the city will need a parking facility to handle the additional employees from that expansion, Harary said.
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