With Budgets Tight, Small Towns Go Without Courthouses
In the small town of Coalinga, Calif., on the corner of 6th and Elm streets, the Fresno County Superior Court's old courthouse is still. Inside, veteran police Lt. Darren Blevins gestures inside an empty courtroom.
"In the past, when we actually had court in here, over on this wall here was the seating for the inmates or the people that were held in custody," he says.
But now, in the wood-paneled courtroom, a large flat-screen television hangs where the podium used to be. Due to budget cuts, Fresno County closed the courthouse last year. Now, it uses video streaming, via the television, to hold traffic court.
“ I know others have disagreed with our choice, but financially we could not do anything else but close those courts. We have to live within our budget.