LOS ANGELES COUNTY : County Will Try to Find Use for Empty Courtrooms

Noting that half the courtrooms are unused at the Central Civil West courthouse--located in an office building off Wilshire Boulevard--the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday directed county officials to try to defray the county’s $3-million annual rental cost.

Under a motion proposed by Supervisor Mike Antonovich, the officials will try to find other county uses for the empty space or renegotiate the lease.

The county has a 25-year lease on seven floors of a building at 600 S. Commonwealth Ave., but 12 of the 23 courtrooms are empty because of a lack of judges.