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Overseeing Facilities, Safeguarding the Courts, and Preparing for Emergencies

The public’s access to and safety in federal courthouses nationwide is a paramount concern.

  • Training

    Workshops and regular tests of continuity plans prepare court personnel for emergencies and disasters, whether natural or man-made.

  • Billings, Montana Courthouse Dedication

    Billings, Montana Courthouse Dedication. Construction of the Billings courthouse was completed four months ahead of the original construction schedule.

  • AO Director Thomas F. Hogan

    AO Director Thomas F. Hogan speaks at the dedication of the new courthouse in Billings, Montana.

  • Yakima Courthouse and Federal Building Celebrates Centennial

    Yakima Courthouse and Federal Building Celebrates Centennial. The William O. Douglas U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building in Yakima, Washington celebrated its 100th birthday on June 21, 2012. The courthouse is home to district, magistrate and bankruptcy judges in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington.

  • Hurricane Sandy tested the emergency preparedness of federal courts in its path

    Hurricane Sandy tested the emergency preparedness of federal courts in its path. When all of lower Manhattan lost power, U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel, Southern District of New York, presided over a time-sensitive international abduction case in the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse. Emergency generators provided some power but no heat.

  • The Western District of Washington hosted a multi-district, multi-agency emergency preparedness summit in 2012

    The Western District of Washington hosted a multi-district, multi-agency emergency preparedness summit in 2012. Representatives from the Eastern District of Michigan, the Southern District of Iowa, the Middle District of Louisiana, and the Western District of Washington participated.

  • The Probation Office in the Southern District of Florida

    The Probation Office in the Southern District of Florida reached out to offer assistance to the victims of Hurricane Sandy, collecting non-perishable items to be delivered to the New York area.

Nationwide, the Judiciary provides public access to justice, whether in its federal courthouses or in facilities housed in multi-tenant federal buildings. Access to justice goes hand-in-hand with the protection of judges, court staff, and the public in these court facilities. In the event of a natural or man-made disaster the Judiciary anticipates the continuation of court operations, through training at circuit-wide workshops and regular tests of its own business continuity and emergency preparedness plans.

Facilities, Security, and Emergency Preparedness