The Martinsville J&D Court relocation meeting is scheduled for Monday

According to an email from Judges Susan Deatherage and Kimberly Belongia on Tuesday from Henry County J&DR Court Clerk Sherri Stout, a meeting is scheduled to discuss moving J&D court cases from Martinsville to Henry County while city officials work on a permanent one solution work.

“As you may know, the Martinsville J&D Court has had numerous issues recently with leaking sewer lines in the clerk’s office. These issues are among a variety of issues that have cropped up throughout the Municipal Court building in recent years. The Martinsville General District courtroom also remains closed at this time,” Deatherage and Belongia said in the email.

“Judge [Carter] Greer has issued a show cause order requiring the city to provide a safe and livable location for the courts. However, until this litigation is resolved, we are seeking temporary solutions for the relocation of the Martinsville J&D Court and Clerk’s Office and the Court Service Unit,” the email said.

Topics listed in the email to be considered at the meeting include whether or not there is adequate space in the Henry County Courthouse building; whether Henry County would be willing to allow Martinsville to use the space, and if so, at what cost; Would the city of Martinsville agree to pay rent for the space? What could be the City of Martinsville’s permanent solution to address the issues? Would the Martinsville Sheriff’s Office and the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office be able to provide appropriate personnel for the temporary location? and will transportation of inmates to hearings be possible?

Other topics presented at the meeting will also be considered.

Deatherage and Belongia closed the Martinsville J&D courtroom and the clerk’s office at City Hall last week when the passage of Hurricane Helene caused additional leaks in the basement of the building where the courthouses are located.

Temporary repairs were made and both the courtroom and clerk’s office reopened earlier this week.

The city “patched some pipes and made other patchwork repairs that only addressed the immediate problem,” said Andy Hall, attorney for the Martinsville Commonwealth. “They haven’t looked at the long-term situation or solution.”

Greer has ordered the Martinsville City Council to repair the Martinsville Municipal Building and asked the chief justice of the Virginia Supreme Court to appoint a judge to preside over the matter in a Sept. 12 order, following an article in the Martinsville Bulletin that said Titled “Town Hall in Disrepair” was published on the same day and described the dilapidated condition of the lowest level of the municipal building.

Hall said new leaks appeared in multiple locations in the building, including the basement and police department, after heavy rains in Helene, and there have been three sewage leaks in the Martinsville J&DR Courtroom since Sept. 12.

Martinsville General District Judge Joan Ziglar previously closed her main level courtroom due to damage on that floor and is holding court in the council chambers upstairs.

“It’s getting worse and the situation is not safe,” Hall said.

After Greer served a directive to council members to look into the matter, the council held a special closed-door meeting the following week to discuss the directive. No statement was made and no action was taken following the meeting.

“As you can imagine, such a move involves many moving parts, and we seek input from everyone who may be affected by the move,” Deatherage and Belongia wrote.