L.A. High-Rise Fire Adds to Woes of Justice System

The state’s justice system was sent into a state of confusion today.

Tuesday’s earthquake that closed the San Francisco offices of the state Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and attorney general was followed early today by a high-rise fire that temporarily closed those same offices in Los Angeles.

Attorneys were moved to other offices or sent home to work on laptop computers while the state courts--which had planned to move San Francisco court business to the Los Angeles offices--were caught in limbo.

“I’m not sure where they are,” said attorney general spokesman Duane Peterson.

The problems started Tuesday when the 6.9-magnitude quake seriously damaged the historic state building in San Francisco, wiping out the law library and breaking desk computers. The building was declared unsafe for occupants.

Atty. Gen. John K. Van de Kamp, who is based in Los Angeles, moved many of his San Francisco attorneys to Sacramento to work on the most pressing cases.

Then at 12:35 a.m. today, a fire broke out on the top floor of the 21-story Wilshire District office tower where Van de Kamp works, damaging some court files and closing the building while firefighters conducted their investigation.

The attorney general’s offices were moved to a nearby building, and top officials met this morning to decide how they were going to proceed with the business of statewide law enforcement.

“What a week,” Peterson said.