Plymouth, state officials welcome new trial court

PLYMOUTH - State and local officials gathered Monday on Obery Street to celebrate the opening of the newly completed Plymouth Trial Court. The last time a new trial court was built in Plymouth was 1820.

The modern, glass and brick building houses superior, district, probate, housing, and juvenile court proceedings, all under one roof. Thus, it is the place where, for better or worse over the next many decades, the varied legal fortunes of many county residents will be determined.

Previously, court functions took place in three different downtown buildings. Each, along with the law library, was moved to the trial court separately over the last month, without a single court day being lost.

Judge Margaret Marshall, chief justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, said the wealth of glass panels in the imposing three-story structure "was a symbol of the transparency of the justice within."

"This new courthouse is a tribute to past, present, and future generations," Marshall said. "May justice long be nurtured in its halls."

Senator Therese Murray, a Plymouth Democrat who dedicated years to seeing the new courthouse built, pointed to the missteps on the way. "It took several years, five governors, four chief justices, two building sites, two designs, and two groundbreakings," she said.

Monday's ceremony was attended by Governor Deval Patrick, who said the project "takes our legal system to the next and best level."

At the last dedication of a trial court in Plymouth, almost two centuries ago, Daniel Webster spoke. The old courthouse, which stands in the center of Plymouth's downtown, had long become obsolete.

"Employees had to work in coats and gloves in the winter," Murray said. In the summer, they labored in unbearably hot conditions. "It even leaked," Murray said. "But with patience and perseverance, we were able to get to this day."

Judge Louis Coffin joked about presiding over juvenile court proceedings in the old Armory building for the last 10 years. "It was built to train soldiers, not to be a courthouse," Coffin said.

It did have some unusual features, he added. "I haven't checked out our new facility, but I bet it doesn't come with a rifle range in the basement."

Christine Wallgren can be reached at CLWallgren@aol.com.