The sparkling glass and metal San Bernardino County Justice Center opened in 2014. It is nearly a block long and 11 stories high.
All state and county courts, except for family and probate courts, were relocated here at that time.
From an article on the dedication of the new building in the San Bernardino County Sun: (
visit link)
"Tour the new San Bernardino Justice Center
POSTED: 05/01/14, 9:54 PM PDT
The 11-story building, which houses 35 courtrooms and two hearing rooms for mediation, will host civil and criminal cases. It is separated into three specific areas – one for the public, one for staff and judges, and a secure tower for inmates.
The historic courthouse, at 351 North Arrowhead Ave., will only be used for family law and probate.
The annex, where a number of criminal and civil cases have been heard in the past, will be used for storage and filing.
Highlights of the new justice center include:
SECURITY
Prisoners will have a separate path of travel and a secure elevator to get them to holding cells. There is a secure sallyport for transportation of in-custody detainees.
The entrance of the new courthouse is more secure — there are five magnetometers (security stations) for the public and two separate stations for staff.
There also is security set up in the delivery area, so everything entering the building will be scanned.
TECHNOLOGY
The court calendars will be electronic, with monitors in the lobby and outside each courtroom.
Staffers will use electronic cards instead of keys.
Every courtroom is equipped with new, state-of-the-art ELMO projectors and there will be monitors at the clerks’ and judges’ desks, so they can control what everyone sees. Monitors will be at the stand, so witnesses don’t have to strain to see what’s behind them.
ENVIRONMENT
There is a drought-resistant green roof of the third floor, which protrudes out from the center tower.
The building has gotten high ratings for environmental elements — including the storm water management strategies, an overall reduction of energy use and domestic water use.
WALK-UP
There are walk-up windows made of bullet-proof glass on the outside of the courthouse. Traffic tickets can be paid at the windows to ease crowding inside the building.
COURTROOMS
There are four courtrooms on each floor and each room will have state-of-the-art evidence projectors, TV screens and acoustics.
The new courtrooms are 1,850 square feet, larger than most of the courtrooms in the historic building."