By Mallory Panuska
FAIRMONT — When Judge David R. Janes reconvenes hearings in his second-floor courtroom in several weeks, the room will look much more like it did when the historic downtown facility was built more than a century ago.
Currently, Janes’ courtroom is out of commission and under construction and has been since the beginning of last week. The county commissioners said workers are completing a project that will basically restore the courtroom to its original, historic look.
And when finished, many of the aspects of the room that were added in more recent years will be gone, and the original, historic wood paneling will be revealed. In addition, for the first time in many years, natural light will shine into the room with the revealing of a series of back windows.
“It’s very thrilling. We were boxed in,” administrative assistant Diane Cervo said of the new windows. “It will be nice. There will be more light.”
While construction is going on, Cervo said Janes has been holding hearings either in Chief Judge Fred L. Fox II’s third-floor courtroom or in magistrate court, depending on which is available.
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