by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
She may be settled into a new office at the Duval County Courthouse, but one Circuit Court judge is planning one more move, hopefully, in the near future.
Judge Mallory Cooper has been involved with the planning for the new Duval County Courthouse as one of the liaisons for the Fourth Judicial Circuit. The process of getting the new Courthouse facility constructed on Monroe Street near the Federal Courthouse has been slowed by Grand Jury investigations regarding the disbursement of funding for the project and escalating costs that require City Council approval. But those problems appear to be in the distant past after a May 21 meeting of the Courthouse Architectural Review Committee, which she attended.
“We are excited to see the ground work begin,” said Cooper. “My last move is going to be to the seventh floor of the new Courthouse.”
She realizes that the high-profile project will continue to undergo keen scrutiny from the public and welcomes the opportunity to discuss the project. A recent editorial questioned the project’s use of $900,000 for art at the Courthouse. Cooper pointed out that, although she is a supporter of the arts, this was a requirement and not a choice.
Part 9 of the City’s Procurement Code, “Art in Public Places,” requires the City to set aside a portion of the construction funding for art in public building projects.
Those pieces of art will be part of a proposed facility that will have 51 courtrooms and should be able to handle projected growth through the year 2025. The current courthouse has 25 courtrooms.
Waiting on a courtroom isn’t a new situation for Cooper. She may have been appointed by former Gov. Jeb Bush in 2005, but she had to wait for a courtroom in the crowded Courthouse to become available. She had served in County Court prior to receiving the appointment. Cooper was originally elected to the bench in 1996. While working at the County Courthouse, she has moved to three different offices, two on the second floor and her current location on the river side of the sixth floor.
“This floor used to be the State Attorney’s Office,” said Cooper. “We moved in December and have converted it for use by the Circuit Court, senior judges, staff attorneys, an office for the State Attorney’s Office Investigations Unit, Corrections Department Liaison, court administration and security offices.”
Cooper is currently assigned to the Criminal Division of the Fourth Judicial Circuit.
356-2466