Supreme Court justices and court staff will be temporarily shifted to new quarters after “unrelenting rains” again shut down the 41-year-old Orange County Government Center for an indefinite period. The center reopened Sept. 6 after being closed for much of the previous week in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene. But County Executive Edward A. Diana announced Thursday that last week’s rainfall from what was once Hurricane Lee has caused “considerable building related issues,” and the structure will be closed “until further notice” to remove mold and water.
Justice Alan D. Scheinkman, the Ninth Judicial District’s administrative judge, said that three Supreme Court justices and their staff will move to an adjacent addition that already houses another justice, along with Family Court and County Court judges. He said the judges will share courtrooms in the addition and also investigate the possibility of using the separate Surrogate’s Court when it is available. Space at the addition, such as conference rooms and a computer-training area, could be temporarily converted to offices, he added. “We’re trying to find appropriate nooks and crannies,” he said in an interview.
