Sonora - The Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors will today consider building a new Superior Court complex southeast of Sonora to be utilized by Amador and Calaveras counties. The total cost of the project was estimated to be $266 million in 2007. It involves moving all court business from the existing historic courthouse in downtown Sonora where court has been held since 1899. It will span across 50 acres and is meant to accommodate growing staff and government facilities. The new complex, titled the Law and Justice Center, will include a new jail and sheriff’s offices to replace the 50-year old existing quarters; offices for the district attorney, public defender and probation departments; a new county headquarters for the California Highway Patrol; and a juvenile detention center that could be built by 2013 using $21 million in funding from the state. This latter facility will be utilized by Amador and Calaveras counties as a way to cut costs associated with sending youth offenders to facilities in the Central Valley. Construction would begin on the juvenile hall. The cost of the new courthouse would be funded by the state because it took over all court functions from the counties. Some Sonora citizens and county employees have criticized the project for its potential impact on downtown businesses and restaurants that have come to rely on money from county employees. The Board will consider the Environmental Impact Report at their meeting today, the first step in a long process towards preliminary approval of a plan that has yet to show exactly where funding will come from. If approved, it is expected to be 20 years before the project is completed. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.