Valdosta among federal courthouses targeted for closure. Albany's safe

By J.D. Sumner (2017)
j.d.sumner@albanyherald.com

As of Friday, March 23, 2012
© Copyright 2013 Albany Herald

Albany’s federal courthouse on Broad Avenue is surrounded by scaffolding for repairs. The government announced plans Thursday to close 50 federal courthouses across the country, but Albany’s was not one of them. Valdosta, Waycross, Statesboro, Athens and Dublin are on the list of possible closures.

ALBANY — ATLANTA — The federal government is considering closing courthouses across the country, including five in Georgia, in a move to free-up cash in a cash-strapped government.

Five on the list are in Georgia. Court facilities in Valdosta, Athens, Statesboro, Dublin and Waycross are ranked as possible targets for closure.

The U.S. District Court in Albany is not on the list.

Documents obtained by The Associated Press show 60 federal court facilities in 29 states could be on the chopping block. Most of the courtrooms are in buildings that house other federal agencies including in post offices and many are located in remote areas. Critics say closing them could make it more difficult for people to get to court proceedings.

Six of the 60 court sites that could be closed are located in Arkansas. Texas also has five courts on the list of possible closures. Officials are even considering shuttering the location where judges hold federal court in Alaska’s capital city, Juneau.

There are 674 federal courthouses and facilities around the country, according to David Sellers, a federal courts spokesman. The 60 sites being considered for closure do not have a resident judge. Instead, judges based in larger cities travel to these smaller locations as needed.

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