New St. George courthouse to open

ST. GEORGE (Deseret News) — The new 5th Judicial District courthouse will open Dec. 14.

The 91,734-square-foot facility includes eight courtrooms, plus office space for judges and court staff, juvenile probation officers, mediators and the Office of the Guardian ad Litem.

It also has a secure holding area for prisoner transport and cells adjacent to the courtrooms. The layout will prevent interaction between prisoners and the public or court staff.

Work on the $29 million building, located at 206 Tabernacle St., began in February 2008. The facility can accommodate up to eight more courtrooms as the population and caseload in Washington County grows.

The property for the courthouse was acquired by the state through a unique three-way trade between the state, St. George and the Washington County School District. Ownership of the old courthouse will be transferred to the city once the building is vacated.

Employees will move into the new courthouse Thursday and Friday. Court offices will be closed all day Friday. Telephone numbers for the new courthouse will remain the same as those at the existing courthouse.

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