Local court

officials are preparing to move into the county's new criminal justice

center beginning the end of this month.

Once the move

is complete, the justice center will house all of Fayette County's court

operations. Currently, the departments are spread out over several buildings,

with the magistrate court, juvenile court and other offices not in a central

area with the rest of the judicial operations such as superior court and

state court.

The first phase

of the move will begin March 29 as the probate court, district attorney's

office, solicitor-general's office and court services office are moved

into the new building. At the same time, offices for Superior Court judges

Paschal A. English and Christopher C. Edwards will be moved along with

the offices of State Court Judge W. Fletcher Sams and Probate Court Judge

Martha Stephenson.

The second

phase of the move will begin April 5 and will include the clerk of court's

office, magistrate court and juvenile court.

The clerk of

court's office will be closed for regular business Monday and Tuesday,

April 7-8, to accommodate the move, although emergency filings will be

accepted. The office will resume its normal business hours Wednesday,

April 9.

The move is

also necessitating the closure of the probate court office Monday and

Tuesday, March 31-April 1. The probate court will reopen for regular business

Wednesday, April 2.