2-12-99

QUESTION

Does Assumption Parish have a Courthouse? If it does, why is there no Judge in Assumption Parish? Should not
Assumption have a Judge? There definitely is a Courthouse there or there was one there once.

There is temporary help with the present Judicial mess while a new Governmental Complex or either the Martinez
BAND-AID is under construction.

There are two vacant buildings which, with very little construction work, could be transformed into court rooms very
economically with ample parking space available.

There is the old East Bank Sopping Center with the no-longer A & P Grocery. Some of the other former shops in the
Center could be leased for some offices to go along with the Courthouse. the old A & P is larger than the present Courthouse
Annex.

In the old Woolco Shopping Center on the Airline near Burnside Street, there is the old Delchamps Food Store, which also
could be turned into a Courtroom.

It will only be a few months until the new RITE AID building on 44 & Airline is opened. That will leave the old K & B store
vacant.

Those are three buildings that could be used as temporary Courthouses while and until a new Governmental Complex is
under construction.

What Ascension Parish needs is COURT ROOMS NOT COURT HOUSES. COURT ROOMS are only used for
TRIALS, they are not used full-time as court rooms. Judges' Chambers are a different matter.

For several years, the School Boards have made use of TEMPORARY BUILDINGS for classrooms. There is no reason
why TEMPORARY COURT ROOMS cannot be UTILIZED in the PRESENT SITUATION of NEGLECT that is PRESENT in
the 23rd Judicial System.



O. W. Stevens