The Los Angeles County Courthouse at 1725 Main Street in Santa Monica has gained a two-story, 14,000 square foot addition, and lost the three aging trailers that served as “temporary” courtrooms for nearly 25 years.
The addition contains three courtrooms, judges’ chambers, jury rooms and staff offices.
The enlarged courthouse now has 18 courtrooms and a juvenile hearing room. Family law, traffic, small claims, juvenile, limited and general civil cases are adjudicated locally, but criminal cases are no longer heard in Santa Monica.
County Supervisor Zev Yaraslavsky, who led the push for the addition, Los Angeles Superior Court Presiding Judge William A. MacLaughlin and West District Presiding Judge Linda K. Lefkowitz presided at the April 1 dedication of the new wing.
MacLaughlin praised recently retired West District Presiding Judge Alan Haber, as well as Yaraslavsky, for spearheading the project. Without him, he said, “the building would not be standing here today.”
Construction took a year and a half and the $4.43 million structure came in on budget, though, Lefkowitz noted, that required raiding the basements of other courthouses for furniture.The addition was designed by Vinlegra and Vinlegra Architects of Los Angeles.
