Skip Navigation

RFH 2010, News

UPDATED: Court Gets New Look, Times

Wed, Aug 04, 2010

UPDATED: Court Gets New Look, Times

UPDATE: The town and village courts aren't in session on Tuesdays- it's only Monday, and usually in the evening, Except for the first Monday of the month, which is "DA day." On that day, when the DA is in attendance, in order to accommodate his schedule court is held in the early afternoon. Both town and village courts used to be held concurrently at 2 pm on DA day and at 7 pm every other Monday. The village court schedule remains unchanged but now Town Court meets an hour earlier each week.

The town/village court has a new:

  • look;
  • schedule;
  • process;
  • justice.

Folks appearing in the combined town and village court on Montgomery Street will notice a number of changes. The front portion of the courtroom is being remodeled. Additionally, there will only be one court meeting at a time, instead of both the town and village courts. And, of course, there is a new village justice on the bench Tom Bogan, who defeated long-serving Arnold Fisher in the elections in June.

Using funds from a $13,000 grant from the state Office of Court Administration, there wil be just one judge's bench on a raised platform at the front of the room. To one side will be a witness box and on the other a space for the court clerk. The plan for the new look for the court was created by Fisher while he was still in office.

Until just recently, the court had two judge's benches -- one for the town justice and one for the village justice -- and a small desk off to one side for the clerk.

This allowed the village and town courts to meet at the same time. Cases, especially on those days when Madison County District Attorney Willam Gabor was there, alternated between the two justices and the DA moved back and forth between them.

While efficient, having two courts at once cause a problem for the digital recording required in the court. Town Justice Don Haight said the Office of Court Administration said the recording picked up extraneous conversations making it difficult to understand the intended proceedings.

Now, town court will meet on Monday's at 1 p.m., while village court will continue to meet at the previous starting time of 2 p.m.  Similarly, the town will meet at 6 p.m. and the village at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Please login to post your comments.