Putnam County jury selection will move to the Cookeville Police Department effective Monday, as parking issues at the Putnam County Justice Center have caused complications.
Chief Deputy Clerk Celena Bradley said due to limited parking, potential jurors have been forced to park in front of local businesses during jury selection. Bradley said on jury selection days, Clerk’s Office staff and county judges will set up at the Police Department to ensure a smoother process that does not affect downtown business.
“The business owners, they have their business hours,” Bradley said. “They have their parking for their customers and when that’s taken up by the jurors that can’t find parking at the Justice Center, it’s definitely a concern. Not just for those business owners, but it’s concerning to us as well. We understand the concerns and their frustration.”
Bradley said potential jurors have been forced to walk a half-mile round-trip in the cold, rain, and heat on jury selection mornings. She said she does not expect the parking issues to be rectified anytime soon, so this is likely to be a long-term change.
“The Sheriff’s Department will provide security,” Bradley said. “The Cookeville Police Department will be letting us use their new secure building, and the judges, as well as the clerk’s office, will do everything in our power to make this jury selection process as easy and efficient as possible for the citizens of Putnam County.”
She said there would be no major change in the process and, if anything, the new facility would be better suited to provide this service. She said there are no stairs or elevators to navigate and there will be easier access to the courtroom.
“We will be there early to set up,” Bradley said. “We will be there before the jurors report. It’s not that we’re going to be reporting there. Only on the days that we’re seating jurors. We’ll be there to help move the citizens through the process and we’ll get them in and out of there as quickly as possible, and then the dockets will actually be held back here at the justice center.”
She said this will provide double or even triple the parking currently available for potential jurors starting next week.
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