The Physical Landscape

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             It houses multiple courtrooms, clerks’ offices, offices for Prosecutors, Public Defenders, Social and Juvenile Services personnel, probation offices, case workers for children in need of assistance and children involved in the system charged as juveniles with adult crimes, support and maintenance staff. 

            In addition to judges and magistrates, there are multiple offices supporting the judiciary, such as secretaries and law clerks.

            A detention center for juveniles, attached to this courthouse, one of several in the state, contains over 100 beds for detained male children under the age of 18. Female juveniles, also under the age of 18, requiring detention, are housed in separate facilities managed by a juvenile department addressing juvenile services.

           In this detention center are security personnel, cooks, food providers, medical personnel, teachers, workers in transportation to transport the detained as needed. Maintenance and janitorial workers are present. In addition to the security personnel, there are members of the city sheriff’s office providing security and order in the building and court rooms.

           Staff and personnel, necessary, for the maintenance of the building, surrounding grounds, halls, offices, courtrooms and restrooms are present. Personnel needed to keep the plumbing, heating and air conditioning systems operational are not far.

            Located in this courthouse are three State’s Attorney Offices, Juvenile Division. One houses prosecuting attorneys, secretaries, clerks and support staff.    

            The other two are for what are called Intake Operations and the other offering protection for witnesses testifying on behalf of the State. Many are employed among these three offices consisting of attorneys, secretaries, legal assistants, and variously defined support personnel. 

            There is a Public Defenders Office housing defense attorneys for children charged with adult crimes as juveniles and parents accused of neglect and/or abuse of their children. In addition to the defense attorneys are secretaries, clerks, support staff and social workers. Within this office, as in the State’s Attorney’s Office, is an Intake Office.

             Each of these offices, Prosecutors and Public Defenders, have available investigators to assist with case preparation.

             The Public Defender’s Office pays private attorneys to assist with cases when in need. These, too, have separate offices receiving government funds. Many of these off-site private attorneys in turn hire secretaries, legal assistants, and various support personnel.

              The counterpart to the defense attorneys in the Public Defender’s Office defending parents in neglect and/or abuse cases are government paid attorneys to represent child protective services’ workers to bring cases against parents alleging neglect and/or abuse of their children. 

              Their office, located in a separate building not far from the courthouse, employs a significant workforce housing not only attorneys but secretaries, clerks, and support staff. In the courthouse an office is provided for these legal services attorneys when their duties require them to be out of their office and in the courthouse.

              In support of these social service attorneys are supervisors, support staff, social workers, case workers, case managers, support staff, security personnel, directors, administrators and assistant administrators. Focused, they are, on child welfare, foster care, and family services with more locations throughout the city with each building needing security personnel, maintenance workers and janitors.

              While the exact number is difficult to determine, this city department of social services has a significant work force. One source from 2025 indicated a total staff of 150-200 employees, including directors, managers, and case managers focused on child welfare, foster care and family services.

              In addition to the attorneys, housed in the courthouse and off site, are attorneys involved in the business of the courthouse but housed outside the courthouse hired by the state to represent children in neglect and abuse cases, including the Legal Aid Bureau. Each of these have their own off-site office consisting of lawyers, secretaries, clerks and support staff.

              Multiple courtrooms containing judges and magistrates supported by a staff consisting of secretaries, legal assistants, court room clerks, a clerk’s office, court administrator and support personnel are located throughout the building.   

              Support for these courtrooms comes from within and without the building. Computers and recording devices require attention from people working beyond the courthouse.

              Departments dedicated to juvenile services (juveniles charged as juvenile with adult crimes) containing business operation offices, assignment offices, intake operations, probation services, reading, evening/day reporting offices for juveniles on home monitors, community detention issues, confinement review offices, various resource offices, youth employment development, and family resource assets are scattered throughout the building. There is a paternity office assigned to address paternity issues involving fathers when paternity is questioned.

              Contained within this building are offices concerning mediation issues involving parents in an effort to resolve cases short of trial, and for the managing director of the building, each with their own staff.

              Common to many courts throughout this country are personnel and offices dedicated to drug issues commonly called Drug Court. Though having separate staff and offices of their own in a separate building they function supported by government funds as part of the court system.

               A secure parking area provides parking for judges, magistrates, administrators and various support staff. Additional security is necessary to secure the parking area.

             Off-site agencies and businesses, public and private, in connection with this court system, address issues of alcohol and drug dependency, parenting and anger issues, physical, mental health and housing issues. These agencies and businesses receive government funding.

              Experts, medical and otherwise, are hired by all sides in the litigation in this courthouse to render expert opinions for the most part paid by government money. Frequently in the halls of this courthouse, local and state police officers, public school and transportation police officers, are seen. They too are paid with local, state and federal money.

              This building, constructed and maintained with government funds, does not take care of itself. It needs to be managed and maintained. Electric, water and related bills are incurred needing to be paid from government funds. Being a government building, this property does not generate property taxes to the local government. There is no rent. This long city block property, unlike surrounding properties, fails to produce taxes while busy spending tax money.

               A managing director, various supervisors and building administrators with supporting staff are charged with maintaining the building, cleaning, collecting and disposing of trash, repairing breakdowns in plumbing and far more.

               There are a collection of offices pertaining to juvenile services and needs, resource centers designed to assist families, offices linking people in need to help, youth employment development offices. A business operations office located in the building administers juvenile services.  

               Bathrooms exist throughout the building with kitchen areas demanding maintenance and cleaning. Supplies for all parts of the building are purchased and stored in storage rooms.

               This is one building, one judicial system, in one city in a country among many more like buildings and systems throughout the United States, of equal size with many larger and many smaller. Together thousands of jobs, public and private, driven by this system, become millions of jobs with millions of dollars, government money, taxpayer money, becoming billions of dollars.

                 The following chapter moves on to exploring how many jobs are generated, directly and indirectly, by this described courthouse system. Each component of the courthouse system is described in further detail showing the types of employees and their numbers. 

                 These numbers, in the hundreds, the thousands, are measured in the millions when taken nationally. Then the amount paid in salaries, wages, fees, and the like is examined showing what each component receives in funding with the total being stated in the conclusion. 

                 The answer to these questions illuminates leading to more questions to be addressed such as is this system achieving its goal of providing an opportunity for our children, in need and trouble, to become productive citizens.