New Juvenile Courts Reward Efforts by Judge : Justice: Betty Lou Lamoreaux is ‘proud and pleased’ at ribbon-cutting for building that will bear her name.

As she stood triumphantly at the new juvenile courthouse named in her honor, retired Judge Betty Lou Lamoreaux on Wednesday recalled the skepticism she encountered in 1984 when she told her fellow judges that she would get a new courthouse built.

“Needless to say, my heart is full. I am proud and pleased, and am so grateful to the so many people who made this possible,” said Lamoreaux, the first woman appointed to the Orange County Superior Court, in 1976, and the Juvenile Court presiding judge from 1985 to 1988.

Juvenile Court Presiding Judge Francisco P. Briseno, Superior Court Presiding Judge Donald E. Smallwood and Supervisors Roger R. Stanton, Gaddi H. Vasquez, Harriett M. Wieder and Don R. Roth were among officials who participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony that drew about 300 people, many of whom work in the new facility.

The $84-million, seven-story building has replaced a set of crowded trailers that served as the county’s juvenile courts for more than 17 years. Its name, the Betty Lou Lamoreaux Juvenile Justice Center, honors Lamoreaux’s vigorous campaign during her tenure for better facilities and programs for abused children and juvenile offenders.

The new center, which opened April 13, contains 15 juvenile justice courtrooms, 13 family law and probate courtrooms, a 60-bed intake and reception center for young offenders, and two parking structures. It is expected to serve the court’s needs until 2025.

Briseno said he felt fantastic about the completion of the project.

“With the expanded facility, we can address the needs of the kids and the parents in a better fashion,” Briseno said. “Before, we were so crowded that we had people in row after row. (Offenders) had to meet with their attorneys in crowded hallways, with virtually no privacy.”

Gene Axelrod, deputy county counsel who works with cases of abused children, was one of those who personally thanked Lamoreaux for his new workplace.

“The work conditions were very difficult,” he said of his previous office. “It was dirty, just 8 by 8 (feet). It added unnecessarily to an already high stress level due to the nature of the work.”

According to Briseno, about 10,000 of the 50,000 juvenile offenders who are detained annually by law officers within the county are put on probation while it is determined whether their cases will be heard in court. The number of juvenile cases taken to court has averaged about 8,100 over the last five years, Briseno said, but the nature of the offenses has grown more serious, involving shootings and robberies.

While Lamoreaux was thrilled about the new building, she expressed regret for the large number of children who enter its doors.

“It’s a very sad situation and I believe it stems from the home and the lack of morals within the family. I’d like to put the parents in jail, instead of the kids,” Lamoreaux said.