OVERCROWDING

COURTHOUSE MORE THAN 100-YEARS OLD.

•           Erected 108 years ago.

•           Dedicated October 1906.

 

500%+ INCREASE IN POLK COUNTY POPULATION SINCE COURTHOUSE BUILT.

•           Polk County population 1900 - 82,000; population 2008 - 410,000.

 

BUILT FOR ONLY 4 COURTROOMS - NOW HAS 27 COURTROOMS.

•           Courtrooms now jammed into all available space, including closets;

            3 judges work without courtrooms.

•           6 magistrate judges hold court in the leased space in the River Point Office Building conducting      Small Claims, Traffic Court, Simple Misdemeanors, and Mental Health Commitments.

 

THE BUSIEST COURTHOUSE IN THE STATE OF IOWA.

•           192 jury trials were held at the 100-year old Courthouse built for 4 courtrooms in 2007; more than any other county in the state by a wide margin.  The most active courthouses: Scott, Linn, Black Hawk, Story and Pottawattamie, all operate in “modern courthouses.”

 

MORE THAN 2,000 PEOPLE ON AVERAGE ENTER THE COURTHOUSE EVERY DAY.

•           On an annual basis nearly 1/2 million people enter the Polk County Courthouse - all essentially through one door on the south causing       long lines and delays.

 

THE NUMBER OF CASES FILED HAS NEARLY DOUBLED IN THE LAST 15 YEARS.

 

•           Conservative projections show filings will double again in the next 22 years.

 

CASE FILINGS AT THE POLK COUNTY COURTHOUSE HAVE INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THE PAST 100 YEARS.

 

•           In the last 5 years alone there’s been nearly a 25% increase in case filings.

In 2007 more than 150,000 cases were filed.  Substantial increases have occurred in domestic and juvenile case filings.

 

NO MEETING ROOMS WHATSOEVER EXIST AT THE COURTHOUSE FOR WITNESSES, LITIGANTS, LAW ENFORCEMENT OR ATTORNEYS.

 

•           All such meetings and conferences take place in the hallways outside the courtrooms.

 

ONLY 1 ROOM FOR JURY ORIENTATION AND ASSEMBLY EXISTS.

 

•           More than 7,511 persons were called in 2007 to serve on jury duty.

 

RESTROOMS AND FIXTURES ORIGINAL TO THE 100-YEAR OLDBUILDING REMAIN AND THERE ARE ONLY 6 TOTAL NUMBER OF RESTROOMS IN THE ENTIRE BUILDING.

 

•           Of the 6 restrooms, only 2 are ADA accessible.

 

NO DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS EXIST AT THE MAIN ENTRANCE.

 

MORE THAN 5 YEARS AGO, FACED WITH SPACE SHORTAGES AND SURPLUS OF RATS, THE BASEMENT OF THE COURTHOUSE WAS ABANDONED IN FAVOR OF RENTED SPACE.

 

 

SECURITY

 

HIGHEST NUMBER OF ARRESTS ANYWHERE IN POLK COUNTY OCCUR AT THE COURTHOUSE.

 

•           In 2007 more than 2,125 persons were arrested at the Polk County Courthouse.

•           In January of 2008 alone more than 295 people were taken into      custody at the Courthouse.

 

CONSIDERABLE CONTRABAND IS REGULARLY CONFISCATED AT THE COURTHOUSE - IN 2007 MORE THAN 700 KNIVES AND 253 BOX CUTTERS WERE TAKEN, ALONG WITH OTHER CONTRABAND.

 

NO SECURITY CAMERAS EXIST THROUGHOUT THE COURTHOUSE.

 

•           Only a limited number exist in the hallways on the first floor.

 

NO BAILIFFS OR LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE IN ANY OF THE 27 COURTROOMS.

 

•           The duties fall to Court Attendants who also serve as schedulers, secretaries, and judicial assistants.

 

IN 2007 DEPUTY SHERIFFS RECEIVED MORE THAN 562 CALLS FOR ASSISTANCE IN THE COURTHOUSE.

 

•           Including 419 cases for assistance within the courtrooms/office at the Courthouse.

 

•           9 judicial threats were recorded.

 

 

PRISONERS, JUDGES, JURORS, ATTORNEYS, AND THE PUBLIC ALL USE THE SAME CORRIDORS AT THE COURTHOUSE.

 

•           This puts all parties at risk due to the stress and emotions that are associated with legal proceedings.

 

•           Modern courthouses are built in zones that separate for security purposes judges, jurors, and the public from prisoners.

 

VICTIMS AND CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS ARE FORCED TO SHARE THE SAME SPACE AT THE COURTHOUSE.

 

NO TEMPORARY JAIL OR HOLDING CELL EXISTS AT THE COURTHOUSE.

 

 

SAFETY

 

BUILDING IS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH FIRE CODE.

 

•           No sprinkler system.

•           No fire detection and notification system.

•           No dedicated fire stairwells.

•           No smoke evacuation system.

 

EMERGENCY LIGHTING NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH CODE.

 

•           Inadequate emergency power.

 

VENTILATION SYSTEM OUTDATED AND NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH CODE.

 

•           Mold problems permeate the building.

 

 

RODENT AND COCKROACH INFESTATION WELL-DOCUMENTED.

           

•           Infestation such that basement had to be abandoned.