2008 Annual Report - Superior Court of California - County of Los ...

Space was available in the structure because it was
designed to accommodate future expansion when it
opened in 2002. Still more expansion is possible as
the Antelope Valley’s rapidly rising population
explodes further. Additional courtrooms also could
be built at the Chatsworth Courthouse — which
opened in 2003 and was also designed with future
expansion in mind.
To anyone who has visited one of our courthouses in the last year or two, the reality of the
system is quite obvious: The Court is bursting at the seams, struggling with antiquated
buildings with serious, long-term maintenance challenges. Nearly all of them were designed
and built long before the computer era, so electrical wiring and communications infrastructure
is outdated or, in some cases, nearly nonexistent.
Altogether, statewide, the Administrative Office of the Courts faces a staggering $8.9 billion
worth of courthouse expansion and replacement projects that need to be completed to keep
pace with California’s growing population. As prioritized by the AOC, Los Angeles County
priorities include the Huntington Park, Santa Clarita and Stanley Mosk courthouses.
Under this statewide facilities master plan, the Long Beach project would conclude site
selection by the end of 2008. Plans would be developed by 2010, with construction scheduled
to begin in 2011 and conclude in 2013.
In the case of Mosk — the largest courthouse in the United States with just shy of 100 civil
courtrooms in downtown Los Angeles — the situation is further complicated by the uncertain
status of the courthouse in the larger Grand Avenue Plan redevelopment. Despite its size,
Mosk has outgrown its caseload, and demands for services there have exceeded the capabilities
of the building. Replacing it will cost at least $900 million — likely more than $1 billion.
The fate of Mosk remains uncertain, however, since no determination has been made of
whether it is to be replaced as part of the overall downtown redevelopment and, if so, what
would be built and where. A block from Mosk, preliminary construction operations are already
under way for a new United States courthouse. No firm completion date for the project has
been set.
Beginning in 2008, management and then legal title to the remaining courthouses in Los
Angeles County will pass to the state. The public is unlikely to notice any difference in
operations as this ownership change evolves. Even as legal title is transferred, Los Angeles
County will remain responsible for maintenance of the buildings for at least the next two years.
Just as 2007 was a challenging year for how we make the best of our inadequate facilities,
2008 will bring more of the same.
Los Angeles Superior Court Annual Report 31