Pickett Reassigns Alternative Courtroom Location Due To Impact On Seniors

Pickett County Commissioners approved a resolution Monday designating the Pickett County Library’s community room as a temporary alternative courtroom for the county.

County Executive Stephen Bilbrey said the community center has housed the courtroom since 2004. Bilbrey said that was beginning to have a negative affect on the county’s senior citizens.

“The court proceedings takes precedence,” Bilbrey said. “Like down there that day, we had to cancel. Even though the senior citizens have that room on Wednesdays, we had to cancel the senior activities because the court proceedings will take precedence.”

Bilbrey said the need for an alternative courtroom due to an ongoing court case that requires a handicap accessible courtroom. Pickett County Courthouse’s courtroom is on the second floor of the building, leaving no standard option for people with disabilities.

“If someone, you know, has an issue of being able to get upstairs for a court proceedings, where they want to come and watch, where they’re part of the court proceedings that day, or whatever, they can request to the judge to move the court proceedings,” Bilbrey said.

Bilbrey said the county commission is looking into moving the senior citizens’ center from within the community center to a building that was recently donated to the county, freeing up space in the community center for a full-time courtroom.

“We need to make that more accessible to the folks of Pickett County and surrounding folks,” Bilbrey said.

Bilbrey said he is hopeful the change will be implemented in the next year.