Broken Water Pipe Floods Courtrooms

An air-conditioning unit broke and flooded three courtrooms at the Ventura Hall of Justice on Wednesday, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage and forcing officials to move cases to other courtrooms.

The flooding began about midnight Tuesday after a 1-inch pipe burst in the fourth-floor air-conditioning system. Water soaked carpets and damaged computer equipment as it seeped down to the ground floor of the courthouse, an official said.

Two fourth-floor courtrooms were closed and are expected to remain shut for the rest of the week, said Robert Sherman, an administrator for Ventura County Superior Court. A third courtroom sustained water damage but is expected to stay open.

Sherman estimated cleanup and repairs would cost several thousand dollars.