Whitley County has a beautiful Judicial Center that has ample room for Circuit Court, District Court, and the Clerk's Office with an unbelievable amount of unused space. This space consists of offices, conference rooms, and storage.

The Judicial Center is protected by excellent security and the elected officials and workers therein are protected.

The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) in Frankfort is in charge of the Judicial Center, and there lies the problem.

The Commonwealth Attorney has to have space outside the Judicial Center, rented for his offices and staff, without security.

The Commonwealth Attorney and his staff should be in the unused space in the Judicial Center with security and in close proximity to the Grand Jury room and the Courtrooms. This is only logical and efficient.

The problem is the rent AOC wants for the space is greater than the State will pay for Offices for the Commonwealth Attorney. So, AOC is happy to receive no rent instead of adequate rent. That's because it is a quasi-governmental agency that is spending your tax dollars.

I, for one, am very interested to see what State Representative Huff will do to rectify this bureaucratic mess in Frankfort, to place our Commonwealth Attorney in the new Judicial Center, and to save our citizens' tax money.

 

- David O. Smith