Columnist Jeff German: Facility brings order to valley’s court system

Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2005 | 8:23 a.m.

Jeff German's column appears Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in the Sun. Reach him at german@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4067.

Cheryl Vernon and her crew at the Clark County Marriage License Bureau were busy over the weekend making last-minute preparations for today's festive grand opening at the Regional Justice Center.

They ordered roses for the first 100 couples who walk through their new doors.

The Marriage License Bureau, located on the first floor of the southeast corner of the downtown 17-story facility, is the first office to occupy the new complex, which is designed to centralize the fast-growing justice system.

As Vernon and company unpacked boxes and taped decorative ribbons along marble-covered countertops in their new digs, they could hardly contain their excitement.

"What does moving into this new facility do for you?" I asked the marriage bureau supervisor.

"It makes us all smile," she said.

Why? Because it gives them space -- glorious, much-needed and long-awaited space.

The Marriage License Bureau, which processed 128,250 marriage licenses last year, outgrew its cramped quarters at the old courthouse 15 years ago, Vernon said.

But space is not a luxury at the high-tech Regional Justice Center. It is a staple.

Everyone moving into the building over the next three weeks, including the judges and their staffs from District Court, Justice Court and Municipal Court, will see that first-hand.

Chuck Short, the county's court executive, is counting on seeing many more smiles at the Regional Justice Center in the near future -- especially from the public which, for too long, has had to put up with the ancient cramped courthouse, as dreary a place as you'll ever encounter in this city.

"I know the public doesn't like to come to court, but this is going to be a helluva lot better than we've treated them at the courthouse," Short said.

That was obvious during a two-hour tour Short gave me of the new complex, which is 3 1/2 years late in opening and millions of dollars over-budget.

This tour was more pleasing to the eye than the one I got months ago from Randy Walker, the county troubleshooter assigned to light a fire under the building's slow-moving contractor, AF Construction.

During that tour, I saw a horribly finished roof that had to be replaced, uneven floors that had to be leveled and dozens of leaks that had to be plugged. The leaks later led to the discovery of mold that had to be removed.

This time, however, I saw a beautiful, user-friendly building, one with lots of soothing natural light.

Just off to the side of the large atrium in the lobby, with its marble floor, palm trees, sandstone walls and 60-foot-high vaulted glass ceiling, is easy access to public counters to pay parking and traffic tickets.

The upper floors all have plenty of public restrooms and comfortable glass-enclosed hallways, many with spectacular views of the city.

And the courtrooms, trimmed in red oak, are spacious and modern.

Each courtroom has a $45,000 integrated communication system, equipped with cameras, microphones, flat-screen computer monitors and televisions. Off to the side of each judge's bench is a small electronic center with a VCR and DVD player.

A judge can control everything from the bench with a touch-tone computer screen.

Some of the judges, I'm told, are apprehensive about being thrust into this high-tech atmosphere. They've been used to 1960s and 1970s technology at the courthouse.

All of a sudden, though it's been long in the making, the transformation seems to be happening overnight.

"There's going to be an adjustment," Short said. "We're coming from the Dark Ages into the 21st century."

Hopefully, the wait will be worth it.