VAN NUYS : Courts Struggling to Rebuild Legal System
With one courthouse condemned and another undergoing major repairs following the Northridge earthquake, officials in the San Fernando Valley are struggling with the daunting task of reconstructing a battered legal system.
The courthouse in San Fernando, which houses 12 Superior Court judges, suffered extensive damage during the Jan. 17 temblor and is expected to be unusable for most of this year.
“They said a year, and if it’s sooner, be grateful,” said Judge Judith M. Ashmann who supervises San Fernando Superior Court.
Most operations will move to the Van Nuys courthouse by next Wednesday, although that facility sustained some damage and only five of seven floors are open.
Also closed are the Santa Monica Superior and Municipal courts, which are expected to reopen Monday, and the Calabasas branch of the Malibu Judicial District. Matters from the branch will be handled in Malibu. Newhall Municipal Court is open for criminal matters only.
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