Yesterday morning, Pearl River County officials unveiled one of the largest local accomplishments in recent years. With the completion of the renovations to the 100-year-old Pearl River County Courtroom, citizens and lawyers alike can enjoy a more modern court experience.
The renovations took over six months to complete, but looking at the work yesterday morning, it was worth the $600,000 match from the county.
Not only does the entire building seem cleaner, it has the added necessity of being ADA compliant.
For the first time, handicapped individuals can have their day in court with fewer obstacles.
While the project took some time, this is a step forward for the county.
With the work that was completed on the existing courthouse, we get a look at what could be possible with a new annex, or even two.
While it would be difficult to emulate the same look and architecture of the old courthouse, the county has the opportunity to build something that will be well thought out and designed for expansion.
As part of the renovation, modern technology was introduced to the courtroom in Poplarville. With the number of resources available online, this is an upgrade that should have been done years ago. Not only will this technology aid defendants and jurors, it will also help the judges and lawyers perform their jobs more efficiently.
The more efficiently the court system is run, the bigger the savings to the county.
If the county continues to upgrade its resources by moving toward electronic storage and sharing of documents, it will relieve some of the burden.
But what we cannot do is remain static. We must keep working to better serve the community as a whole and meet everyone’s needs.