Probate to get new courtroom

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XENIA — The Board of Greene County Commissioners decided March 8 to construct a courtroom for the operations of Greene County Probate Court in the lower level of the Greene County Juvenile Court building.

Necessary funding for the building modifications at 2100 Greene Way Boulevard are to be provided from the county general fund. The modifications are also to include office space for probate court’s use.

“It should be relatively easy to convert the space,” County Administrator Brandon Huddleson said.

The board passed the resolution after receiving a court order March 5 from the probate division of the Greene County Common Pleas Court, requiring the board to immediately designate Courtroom 3 in the Greene County Courthouse as the permanent probate court courtroom. Additionally, the order required the board to pay the court’s legal fees in order to bring suit against the board.

Courtroom 3 is located in the lower level of the courthouse and is used multi-purposely for civil proceedings, grand juries and by visiting judges. Currently the probate division has an office and a small courtroom on the first floor of the courthouse.

The board also received a court order from the Common Pleas General Division establishing sole and exclusive management of Courtroom 3.

“The commissioners have worked with both courts for months to try to come up with an amicable solution for both courts,” Huddleson said.

E.J. Griffith, Court Administrator for Common Pleas, said he was pleased with the decision.

“On behalf of the General Division of the Common Pleas Court, I am pleased that the Board of Greene County Commission has heard the concerns of Judge O’Diam and the Probate Court that its current facilities here in the courthouse are inadequate to serve the people of Greene County, and that the Board has chosen to provide new and better facilities to better service the people of Greene County at the Juvenile Court Building here in Xenia,” he said.

By Anna Bolton

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Contact Anna Bolton at 937-502-4498 or follow @annadbolton on Facebook.

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