Keep Bailing

Alameda County — In what was originally slated to be a juvenile detention hall, the city of Dublin  has opted for a brand new courthouse to be completed by 2014.

Having a courthouse in Dublin will also make transporting prisoners from the Santa Rita jail much easier. And, talk of an underground tunnel from Santa Rita to Dublin could make the transfer of inmates virtually seamless. This should result in reduced transportation costs and increased safety.

Another plus is local residents could possibly have a better chance of completing jury duty in a courthouse much closer to their homes.

The group called ”Friends of Dublin” led by Kasie Hildenbrand and David Haubert (both members of the Dublin City Council) helped to lead the decision. 

Nearby Pleasanton offers a court facility, however it lacks a well-fortified holding cell in case of any high profile cases and limits cases that are tried there  to misdemeanors, civil, night court, small claims, etc.

The new building facility in Dublin will have 13 courtrooms that will hear cases which may range from minor traffic violations all the way to homicide cases. Further, legal offices and bail bond agencies could open once the city issues new permits.

Some may beg to differ having a large legal institution constructed so close to their home. However, in a struggling economy the new courthouse will create many more jobs, and that is lucky for any city .