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HUNDREDS OF WELL WISHERS CELEBRATE
NEW CHELSEA TRIAL COURT
Chelsea—Judges, court staff, community
leaders, attorneys, legislators, city and state officials,
and members of the public today celebrated the dedication
of the new Chelsea Trial Court, located at 120 Broadway in
Chelsea. The courthouse was crowded with well wishers to dedicate
the new building, which opened on March 21, 2000.
The new Chelsea Trial Court,
which houses the Chelsea District Court and the Suffolk Juvenile
Court sitting at Chelsea, represents the judicial, legislative,
and executive branches' continuing efforts to improve and
upgrade court facilities throughout the state. The Chelsea
courthouse has five modern courtrooms, two of which are equipped
for jury trials; a drop-off child care center for children
of families and guardians using the courts; attorney-client
conference rooms; a court clinic; an office for the Suffolk
County District Attorney's Office; up-to-date security features;
and handicapped accessibility.
Supreme Judicial Court Chief
Justice Margaret H. Marshall said, "This new courthouse is
a shining example of the commitment of the leaders of all
three branches of government to modernize courthouses throughout
the Commonwealth. It is a courthouse built for the community
and of which the Chelsea community can be enormously proud."
Speaking at the afternoon ceremony,
Chief Justice for Administration and Management Barbara A.
Dortch-Okara said, "I am delighted that our hardworking judges
and court employees can administer justice in a modern, safe,
and efficient facility in Chelsea that is worthy of the citizens
they serve."
Also participating at the event
were District Court Chief Justice Samuel E. Zoll, who served
as master of ceremonies, Judge Timothy H. Gailey, First Justice
of the Chelsea District Court; Division of Capital Asset Management
Commissioner David B. Perini; Senate President Thomas F. Birmingham;
and State Representative Eugene L. O'Flaherty.
Judge Eugene G. Panarese, the
retired former First Justice of the Chelsea District Court,
also was recognized at the ceremony for his determination
and selfless efforts in planning for the new building.
Chief Justice Zoll said, "This
new courthouse restores a missing link in Chelsea's historic
landscape. The people in Chelsea and surrounding communities
can be assured that they will be well served by the dedicated
judges and employees who work here."
Judge Gailey said, "The Chelsea
District Court is once again in the community. We hope to
make the Chelsea Courthouse a showcase of justice and a landmark
of community pride."
The three-story red brick courthouse,
occupying 53,000 square feet, is a key element of the ongoing
revitalization of downtown Chelsea. Approximately one hundred
people, including judges and court employees, work in the
building.
Designed by Boston's Schwartz/Silver
Architects, Inc. and built by R.W. Grainger Co., Inc., the
public lobby areas inside are flooded with sunlight that pours
in from the three-story bank of windows on the courthouse's
south side. The interior is further brightened by blond maple
paneling and woodwork. Construction of the $15.4 million courthouse
was supervised by the Division of Capital Asset Management
in cooperation with the Administrative Office of the Trial
Court's Court Capital Projects Department.
The Chelsea District Court had
been occupying space in the East Cambridge Courthouse since
1992 when the Supreme Judicial Court used its statutory and
constitutional superintendence powers and closed the old Chelsea
District Court because of its deplorable conditions and numerous
building code violations which were a risk to the public.
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