Howard County justice moves into 21st century
Howard County justice moved into the 21
st century from the 1850s Tuesday with the official opening of a new $120 million-plus courthouse built with a public-private partnership.
There were congratulations all-around as the Leeds Gold 238,000-square-foot building arrived on time and on budget, replacing the landmark courthouse first built when it held hearings on runaway slaves.
The new building is large enough to house all the court functions, including the clerks, prosecutors, library, and sheriffs, with extra courtrooms to spare.
Former administrative Circuit Court Judge Lenore Gelfman had pestered state and county officials for years to replace the cramped stone building, as Maryland’s Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera reminded the crowd of about 150.