Evening star., 1950-06-27
New Building eliminates Struggle That Began 74o Years Ago
Truman 10 Take Part
In Cornerstone Rites
Al Courthouse Today
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go copies of Washington news
papers for the day. A silver re-
production of the seal of the Capt.
tai Sesquicentennial Commission
has been struck by the Mint for
placement and sealing in the two
copper receptacles of the stone.
Photographs of President Tru-
man, Vice President Barkley. Chief
Justice Vinson, and the "a judges
of the District Court and the
United States Court of Appeals
will be included, as well as legisla-
tive documents which made the
new courthouse possible.
The ceremonies symbolic a
milestone in the development of
Washington's judiciary.
Court Now Scattered.
Where at present, as in recent
years. the judges and agencies of
the two courts have been scattered
in as many as a dozen different
places, well removed from the
existing courthouse itself, the new
building will house all the facili-
ties of the courts.
All of the present scattered
agencies will be brought together
in the new building, which has 8
million cubic feet, compared with
the 2.5 million cubic feet in the
present courthouse.
Includes Parking Facilities.
But aside from the physical
attractiveness and the benefits
to official personnel, the court
prides itself in the advantages
the new building will offer the
laymen. who are as much a part of
the administration of justice as
court officials.
First. there will be parking
facilities for jurors and witnesses
for the first time in modern
history. 1t is planned that space
for 40 autos will be available
on the east plaza of the new
building, in addition to a share in
the 75-car capacity in the base
ment car-space for court officials.
The United States MarshaPs Of
flee allotment of 60 spaces on
the north plaza will remain in
violate.
Their cars parked, jurors and
witnesses will note that they have
large assembly lounges, fitted with
such conveniences as inclosed
telephone booths in which they
can maintain contact with the
outside world while awaiting
courtroom call.
Overnight Rooms for Juries.
This, of course, is in contrast
to long standing situation where
these court principals mill around
in courthouse corridors, brushing
elbows with lawyers, defendants
and spectators alike.
What's more, those juries whose
members require overnight labor
to reach a verdict no longer will
have to retire to hotels. Enough
rooms, with showers, will be there
to accommodate two full jury
panels.
luncheon recess arrives,
they can join the general public
in 370-capacity cafeteria in the
courthouse.
The public-at-large will find
such additional conveniences as
an escalator between the first and
second floors and four elevators to
get them to desired points in the
building. -Four private elevators
are being provided for prisoners,
and another four for judges, who
in the future will be able to reach
courtroonS without trodding pub
lie corridors, as now.
The more secluded business of
the United States Court of Ap-
peals will derive it's benefits, too.
Where the nine judges of that
bench have had to hold court in
the well-appointed, but small,
building at Fifth and E streets
NV. they now will have one en-
tire floor to operate in the new
courthouse.