All county court proceedings move to new location in Jackson

Today, all trials held at the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson will be moved to the new courthouse across the street. The old location will no longer be in use, Circuit Court Division III Judge Frank Miller said.

Miller said the biggest improvement in the new courthouse is the addition of better security to protect all individuals who enter the courthouse. The old location did not have any security measures at any of the four entrances, he said, while the new building uses a swipe-card system. Inmates were also formerly transported by foot from the jail to the courthouse by the sidewalk outside connecting the two, he said, which may have allowed contraband to be given to the inmates. At the new courthouse, inmates will travel to courtrooms via a tunnel and will await trial in holding rooms.

Technology in court was also a large factor in the move, Miller said. In the old location, technology devices would often have to be moved from room to room. The new courthouse has screens available in courtrooms to more easily display media, Miller said.

While the old courthouse only had three courtrooms — two larger rooms on the upper floor and a smaller one in the basement — Miller said the new location will have six. With so few courtrooms in the old building, he said scheduling conflicts often caused a headache, so the expansion of court space is definitely a welcome addition. Where the old courthouse was also lacking an assembly room, the new structure has a large area for juries to assemble for multiple trials, Miller said.

Cape Girardeau County Associate Commissioner Charlie Herbst said the new furnished courthouse cost $20 million in total. From wiring issues, water and other utility improvements, the county estimated $1 million to $3 million in repairs would be needed to renovate the old courthouse, he said. It currently costs $25,000 a year to maintain.

Plans for the limestone building began in 1905, with construction completed in the fall of 1908, according to Southeast Missourian files. Over the years, the building has had multiple structural issues, including ceiling plaster that needed to be repaired and a roof that needed replacement.

The last large renovation occurred in the late 1980s, Miller said. The boiler heating system and air conditioning still needs to be updated if it would continue to be used, he said.

It’s unclear on the future of the old courthouse, Miller said, but he said it most likely will not be razed. While it may not be in use currently, he said it will still stand out as a structure unique to uptown Jackson.

“I’ve seen a lot of cases come through here, and a lot of significant cases that have garnered national attention come through this building,” Miller said. “It is sad to see it be shuttered for a little bit, or at least not used as a courthouse, but its time has passed.”