Courthouse workers cry crunch

Lack of space at the Boone County Courthouse has court officials making a different kind of case, submitting evidence and statements in an attempt to prove to a jury of the public that work conditions are so tight they’re compromising efficiency, privacy and security in the historic building.

County officials hope voters will ease the crunch by approving a one-fifth-cent sales tax on Tuesday’s ballot. The measure would generate about $14 million over three years to pay for the addition of two floors to the courthouse annex and to prepare other county buildings to take some of the load. If the work is approved, judicial and other county offices would begin a game of musical chairs designed to give them the space they need to operate efficiently for the next 12 to 15 years.

Past enduring limestone columns and through the metal detector that guards the main entrance, the cavernous lobby of the courthouse echoes with conversation and the clicks and squeaks of wingtips, high heels and tennis shoes. But the vast expanse belies the crowded conditions court officials confront every day. One office crams five workers into a space designed for one. Some staffers are sandwiched into former equipment rooms. Prosecutors grill witnesses behind partitions with little privacy. Clerks navigate narrow corridors to comb through seemingly endless rows of file cabinets.

“People don’t realize how crunched we are for space,” Circuit Clerk Cheryl Whitmarsh said during a recent tour of the courthouse, which was last expanded in 1995. “If I can just get them back here and show them.”

Boxed in

Step into Whitmarsh’s office and it’s clear what she’s complaining about. Behind the front counters, 43 clerks do their jobs in a congested maze of cubicles and cabinets. Files and other paperwork bury their desks.

The clerk’s office is responsible for handling case files for the circuit court’s probate, accounting, criminal, civil and family divisions.

“Everything that’s filed in Boone County comes through this office,” Whitmarsh said. “We have a real diverse public that comes through here.”

The number of case files has risen far faster than the county’s population, from 10,572 in 1990 to 17,131 in 2005, more than a 62 percent increase. That’s why much of the clerk’s space is consumed by shelves and cabinets filled with files. While many of those cases remain open, the law requires that closed files, whether paper or microfilm, remain on site for five years, Family Court Supervisor Carolyn Reddin said. The state has yet to authorize digital or paperless file storage.

“We have weeded out a lot of files, but there’s just some we can’t yet,” Reddin said. “We’re running out of room for files, and we’re running out of room for people.”

Microfilm clerk Carol Rumble said the rising caseload has been obvious since she began working in the courthouse 11 years ago. She and a part-time clerk are charged with converting paper files to microfilm. If uninterrupted, the pair can convert about six boxes full of closed files to four rolls of film in a day. Still, they can’t keep up.

Rumble, whose office door is surrounded by boxes and cabinets, said she tries to stay on top of things the best she can. But added, “With the caseloads now, I cannot see totally being caught up.”

The crowding contributes to inefficiency in other ways, Whitmarsh said. The civil, criminal and family court divisions, for example, are split between the east and west wings of her office. Whitmarsh said grouping clerks from each division together would be more efficient. She also noted a space that doubles as a break room for workers and a space for the public to fill out forms.

The situation could be worse if it weren’t for the organization and diligence of her assistants, Whitmarsh said.

“They’re really good about cleaning up their files,” she said.

Cramped quarters

The swinging doors of the prosecutor’s office are in constant motion as attorneys, witnesses, investigators and secretaries rush between courtrooms and clerks’ and judges’ offices. The shortage of space hinders efficiency and privacy, which prosecutors take seriously. A poster by the conference room makes the point: “Loose lips might sink ships.”

Space for trial preparation, interviewing and meeting are critical for prosecutors to do their jobs well, Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Crane said. “It’s not like ‘Law and Order.’ When you’re preparing for a trial, it’s a very lengthy process.”

The conference room is where attorneys meet, spread out evidence and take depositions. But it’s the only large space available and can become easily crowded with evidence and people.

“That room is barely big enough,” assistant prosecuting attorney Dan Knight said.

Kitty-corner to the conference room is the library, which has two permanent walls and a bookcase for a third wall. An overly large round table in the center forces workers to squeeze between it and the walls. Prosecutors hold meetings and take testimony here because other areas are often occupied.

“That’s not ideal; we need to have a private space,” Crane said, adding that an assistant prosecuting attorney moved into his last interview room about two years ago. Knight said it’s particularly difficult to conduct interviews about sensitive topics with attorneys and staff constantly walking by.

In the southwest corner of the prosecutor’s area is a waiting room for witnesses and their families and supporters. It’s big enough for about a half dozen people but quickly overflows when there are long or multiple trials.

“It gets packed,” Crane said.

Around the perimeter of the prosecutor’s area are offices for assistant prosecuting attorneys and investigators. In the center are cubicles for secretaries, as well as a file space with shelves crammed tightly with folder after folder. Crane said his space has reached capacity.

“We have no more office space for attorneys,” Crane said. “Even if we went paperless, that doesn’t create personnel space.”

The domino effect

On the second floor, the pressure to find more space for the judges’ chambers and court administrators grows with the anticipation of a new judge and court reporter scheduled to arrive in January.

“The staff are the ones I’m concerned about,” said Court Administrator Kathy Lloyd, describing the “domino effect” that adding more employees will create. The law library, centrally located between the wings of the offices, is meant for attorneys and judges to use for court preparation, research and meetings. Half the area has been remodeled with makeshift cubicles that provide space for two judges and a court reporter. In January, those judges will have to move to a deliberation room to make way for four court reporters, including the new one. Privacy and purpose will be lost.

“Privacy is a big issue,” said court reporter Diana Taylor.

Taylor and fellow court reporter Anne Spraque share an office, which they said is difficult because a reporter’s job requires concentration and diligence to read and proofread stacks of transcripts, make notes, take phone calls and address visiting attorneys. Two people is hard enough, they said. They can’t imagine doing their work while attorneys and judges move in and out of the library.

The lack of space doesn’t stop with high-level offices. In the court marshal’s office, 10 full-time and five part-time marshals share a space lined with desks and cabinets, often knocking into each other and equipment as they move about the room.

“We’re pretty compact but pretty efficient,” Chief Marshall Jack Wonneman said. “We do pretty well ... most of the time, (but) what do you do in the extreme times?”

The adult and juvenile court services offices are also experiencing space needs as workers cram into spaces originally intended for far fewer people.

Knight said the need for more space is obvious throughout the courthouse.

“These aren’t trivial areas we’re discussing,” he said. “These are real concerns. ... When we become more efficient, we can fight crime better.”