warren county new courtroom

Visitors in look over the criminal courtroom in the renovated wing at the Warren County Courthouse.

(Express-Times File Photo)

Sparked by a stalemate over what to do with a courtroom

, Warren County freeholders tonight backed a resolution calling for an arbitrator to handle all future disputes between counties and the judiciary.

approved the measure seeking a constitutional amendment that would make it mandatory for an arbitrator to handle disputes between county officials and the judicial branch of state government.

The establishment of an arbitrator would hopefully prevent situations such as the ongoing dispute over Courtroom 2 in state Superior Court in

Officials are searching for a way to fix a visibility issue that's arisen after more than $6 million in renovations were completed in 2011.

A 6-inch-wide support pillar in the courtroom blocks the defense table's line of sight to the jury box and witness stand. Superior Court Judge Ann R. Bartlett ruled in February 2012 that the beam made trials unconstitutional. The courtroom, in the interim, has been used for criminal proceedings that don't involve a jury.

Freeholder Director

said arbitration is necessary in order to reach a resolution, adding the courts won't "make a fair ruling."

"We are getting to the point where we have reached a stalemate and can no longer reasonably negotiate with the courts on how we can move forward," he said.

The Warren County Prosecutor's Office had filed a complaint against Bartlett's ruling, and the case had moved between state superior and district courts, eventually landing in Middlesex County.

Warren County Prosecutor Richard Burke said the lawsuit is still pending as the issue has not been resolved.

"There will be a time period where the various interested parties will meet with Judge (Travis) Francis (Middlesex County) to see if there is a way to resolve it by way of settlement," Bruke said. "That has not been done yet. I'm not sure what the status is but it still has not been resolved."

If the county prosecutor's office, public defender's office, freeholders and other interested parties had agreed on possible changes, a judge wouldn't have had to rule on the courtroom's constitutionality.

Freeholder Rick Gardner said taxpayers shouldn't pay to correct the courtroom.



"Children have to admit when they do something incorrect," Gardner said.

Gardner said that he found it interesting when "certain people in the judiciary can't admit when they're wrong."

"This board really has to put its foot down on this issue," he said.