by Richard Prior
Staff Writer
A unanimous resolution passed by the Jacksonville Bar Association in support of the new Duval County Courthouse was hand-delivered Wednesday to the mayor’s office and to as many Council members as JBA President Jim Moseley Jr. could find.
Mayor John Peyton’s office “contacted me and said it has been brought to his attention,” said Moseley. “He said he was grateful to get our input.”
“We’re delighted to have their support,” said Heather Murphy, spokesperson for the mayor’s office. “That is important. We thank them for that.”
The JBA Board of Governors Wednesday morning approved the resolution putting its support behind “the current architectural plans for the new Duval County Courthouse as appropriate for the administration of justice in our community.”
Those plans include growing room inside the proposed courthouse and in the area around it.
“I really can’t get into the financial aspects of it,” said Moseley. “But we’re looking long term, 50 years from now. We’re aware of problems in other communities in the state that developed courthouses that were obsolete within years.
“It leads to cramping and inefficiency of our justice system.”
The current courthouse at 330 E. Bay St. “no longer satisfactorily meets the legal needs of the citizens of Jacksonville,” the resolution noted.
Architectural plans for the new building “address important issues regarding the safety of those who will use the courthouse and the importance of its function in the administration of justice for the people of Jacksonville,” the resolution said.
The 896,000 square-foot courthouse was billed as a $190 million project when voters approved the Better Jacksonville Plan in 2000. It has since expanded to 1,134,000 square feet at a cost of $232 million.
City Council on Sept. 23 set an Oct. 28 deadline for Peyton to lower costs to $211 million or submit a plan for paying the difference.
“Our system of justice is the foundation of our society,” Moseley wrote in his cover letter to Peyton. “A courthouse symbolizes the notion that the rule of law is the protector of liberty while pursuing the worthy ends of justice. This is why most courthouses in our country traditionally have occupied a location of importance such as the traditional town square as our seat of government.
“The strength of the foundation and pillars of a courthouse truly represent our reliance on the rule of law in our civilized society.”
Membership in the JBA totals more than 1,900 attorneys and judges.