Cherokee County Justice Center (Credit: Cherokee County District Attorney's Office)
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - A hazardous materials incident forced officials to close the Frank C. Mills III Justice Center and declare a judicial emergency across Cherokee County courts through Friday, Aug. 28.
What we know:
Cherokee County Superior Court Chief Judge David L. Cannon Jr. declared a judicial emergency after a hazardous materials incident contaminated the entire Frank C. Mills III Justice Center on Friday, Aug. 21, at approximately 1:20 p.m.
The closure applies to the Superior, State, Juvenile, Probate and Magistrate courts of Cherokee County through Friday, Aug. 28, unless modified by court order, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Court operations are moving to temporary facilities in Canton, with interrupted jury trials resuming under Judge Cannon at 9:30 a.m. at 94 North St. and under Judge Davis at 9:00 a.m. at the Historic Courthouse at 100 North St.
Most in-person clerk business and filings will take place at the Clerk of Court Annex at 155 Towne Lake Parkway in Woodstock, while juvenile proceedings will run remotely via videoconference with public viewing available at 94 North St. or streamed at www.cherokeegacourts.com.
What we don't know:
Officials have not released details regarding the specific nature of the hazardous material involved in the contamination.
Additionally, authorities have not established a timeline for reopening the building because crews have not yet cleared it for use.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Cherokee County District Attorney - Georgia, who detailed court relocations and emergency orders in an official statement and court filings.