GROWING WORKLOAD AT FEDERAL COURTHOUSE

It looks like Cape Girardeau will be getting a new federal courthouse in the not-too-distant future. The existing federal building in downtown Cape Girardeau, which also houses nonjudicial offices, is no longer adequate.

Just a few years ago the thinking was that there weren't enough federal court cases, criminal or civil, to warrant full-time judges and U.S. attorneys. But in recent years the caseload has grown dramatically.

Cases that can't be handled by the existing staff are assigned to federal officials in St. Louis. But that means a lot of travel back and forth for magistrates and attorneys.

The solution is a new courthouse and, possibly, additional court staff to handle the work. So far $3.8 million has been designated for design work and site purchase. The new courthouse likely will be a five-story building. The existing federal building then could be converted into adequate space for other government functions.

Spending more taxpayer dollars on government needs isn't always the best solution, but in this case the expense appears to be warranted.