Town hall held on new Morrow County Courthouse
By Terry Murry on Thursday, September 28th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
HEPPNER – Morrow County needs a new circuit courthouse. District Attorney Justin Nelson said Sixth Circuit Court Presiding Judge Dan Hill did an excellent job of illustrating that to the state, which cleared the way for funding the project. Now, county residents have begun the discussion of where to put it.
By state statute it must be located in Heppner. The county has its eye on land it owns that is near the rodeo grounds. Concerns have been expressed due to its location which is also near an elementary school and homes.
Nelson said that at a recent town hall meeting, people also questioned why the current courthouse needs to be replaced. He said there are space issues, security issues, and the simple fact that the laws governing trials have changed since 1902.
“Even if a juror sees a defendant in handcuffs come into the courthouse – maybe they’re in custody in a serious case and they’re brought in by the sheriff’s office – that is grounds for a mistrial,” he said.
In Umatilla County, both circuit courthouses have a sally port, where those in custody can enter for their trials without being in public view. Nelson also said the current courthouse does not have private meeting rooms for attorneys and clients, has a jury room that is so small he doesn’t see how 12 people can fit, and cannot accommodate the 35 to 40 people called for jury duty in the courtroom itself.
