Glitches Snarl Court Clerk’s Office

The U.S. District Court clerk’s office struggled with one shutdown after another Thursday with a small flood in a lawsuit storage room and computer malfunctions.

The mishaps kept some members of the public from viewing court records, but court officials said the clerk’s office should be back in full operation by today.

The small flood occurred Thursday afternoon, a spokesman said, when maintenance workers cleaned the building’s air conditioners. Condensation from the machines pooled in the ceiling over the storage room and began dripping down, creating a huge puddle on the floor by the afternoon.

Clerks were ordered to stay out of the area because of worries that someone would slip, said Frank Goodroe, clerk of the court.

The computer system for civil filings, he said, had gone on the blink earlier in the day.

The problems show how much the district needs a new federal court building, Goodroe said. The court now operates out of a temporary space in a modular building.

“We’re not exactly living in a mobile home,” he said. “But it’s not much superior to a mobile home.”