Evening star., 1936-11-30
COURT BUILDING
WILL HAVE MOST
MODERN FEATURES
Large Soundproof Rooms to
Replace Present Crowd.
ed Quarters.
BROADCAST FACILITIES
WILL BE INSTALLED
Nine Elevators and Cell Blocks
for Prisoners Among New
Equipment Planned.

Building, in Judiciary Square, planned
to take care Of the business expansion
for the next 100 years, will have many
features never before installed in
District-owned building, plans and
specifications show.
And when they move into the new.
ultra modern structure, few court at
taches will look back with regret on
the dingy old red fire trap now occu-
pied at Sixth and D streets, they ad-
NIT. Many court attaches have been
coming to work in the old building
since it was erected in 1907.
Where the personnel and others
having business there have been
walking up one to three flights Of
rickety stairs in the present building,
nine elevators will carry them in the
new structure. Four will carry traf1c
from the main lobby, two will be de-
voted exclusively to the use of judges,
two are for prisoners only, while an
other has not been assigned to q
task.
Where court transactions involving
more than 100000 cases a year are
now carried or in three overcrowded,
drab rooms, six large and airy, sound
proof rooms, ranging up to 80 feet
wide and go feet long will be avail.
able Immediately, and two others will
be left unfinished for the future ex-
pansion.
Broadcasting Facilities.
One innovation in the new building
will be the installation Of radio broad
casting facilities. II in the future
judges can agree that broadcasting
court procedure will be beneficial, all
the radio engineer will have to do is
plug in to a wall socket and turn on
the Juice" So far as is known by
officials of the court, this is the first
such radio hook-up arrangement ever
installed in a court building.
While there is only one court room
being 50 equipped under present plans,
William A. Norgren, chief deputy court
| clerk, said yesterday negotiations are
being carried on with broadcasting
companies with a view to putting the
equipment in the other five.
The four judges Of the court are
said to be equally divided over the
question. Two of them favor the in
stallation. while the other two are
opposed.
With the completion Of the new
| building will come the first time since
the court was established by act of
Congress in 1870 that adequate quar-
tiers have been provided. Police Court
always has been the ugly duckling"
Of District jurisprudence, having been
housed in old dwellings, business
houses and in church until the pres
ent building was erected.
Ohcials OF the court agree the pres
ent building is little better than a fire
trap. An extra fight Of stairs was
installed a few years ago, but both
flights are in the front of the build
ing and a fire starting up the wells,
they claim, would undoubtedly trap
hundreds Of persons. if the fire oc-
Cured on busy court day The new
building will be flreproof throughout.
Offices on First Floor.
The first floor of the building will
be occupied by the Office of the as
sistant district attorneys, the assistant
corporation counsel, the clerks office,
police 1iaison officer, deputy United
States marshals, press room and tele-
phone exchange.
Two court rooms, the office Of the
probation officer, judges chambers and
cell blocks for prisoners on that floor
will occupy the second floor. Instead
OF the present system of escorting
prisoners through court rooms and
corridors, cell blocks will be provided
for both men and women prisoners
In the rear Of each of the court rooms,
On the third floor Will be two fin
ished and two unfinished court rooms
and the library as well as judges
chambers and cell blocks.
Another new departure will be the
installation Of an cooling system.
making it the first building owned BY
the District to have such facilities.
The heating will be furnished by the
Federal central heating plant. This
also Is the first time that q District
owned building has been connected
with this plant, it is said.