New 6th District Courthouse is open to the public

            After two decades of deliberation, new building prioritizes security and capacity.

            MANTI—In a project nearly two decades in the making, a brand-new Utah 6th District Courts Building in Manti opened its doors to the public Monday.

            Officials say the new facility addresses significant security shortfalls and operational inefficiencies that existed in the old courthouse, which dates to the 1930s.

The building is approximately 28,500 square feet and has two courtrooms, a secure sally port, holding cells and other features meant to streamline judicial processes and enhance safety for staff, inmates and the public.

            It was designed by VCBO Architecture and built by Okland Construction, both of Salt Lake City, at a cost of $18.4 million.

            A long road to reality

            The road to the courts building was anything but straightforward. State and local leaders first considered constructing a new courthouse in the mid-2000s after officials recognized that the historic Manti courthouse did not meet modern security standards.

            In 2006, the Utah Administrative Office of Courts (AOC) proposed a plan under which Sanpete County would fund the building through revenue bonds and lease it to the state.

            When county commissioners considered placing the courthouse on one corner of the  Sanpete County Fairgrounds, intense opposition arose. Many residents worried about inmates coming too close to the Manti High School and the Manti swimming pool.

            Others opposed losing a portion of the historic fairgrounds. There were lingering concerns that the county would be on the hook for construction costs if anything went wrong with the lease to the state. The issue went to the ballot in 2007 and was ultimately defeated by seven votes in a recount.

            That defeat put the courthouse on the shelf for nearly a decade. Fresh efforts started around 2016, spurred by the AOC’s assessment that the old building had become inadequate and unsafe for both the public and for inmates.

            In 2018, the Utah Legislature appropriated enough funding for a land purchase. AOC acquired the former Cox Construction Building and a one-time sewing factory, both immediately south of the courthouse, to assemble a 2.3-acre site.

            In 2022, the Utah Legislature allocated funds for design, followed by a final round of appropriations to cover construction. Although the price tag had to be trimmed, the essential features—two courtrooms and security measures—remained intact.

New security measures

            Modernizing security was the foremost priority. In the old facility, inmates often used the same entrance and hallways as judges, staff and members of the public.  “The courthouse we were currently using here in Sanpete County lacked some of the very basic industry standards and best practices for court security,” said Chris Palmer, AOC securities director. “Most importantly, it lacked a holding cell, a secure sally-port and a lot of other modern security measures…So that was a big priority when we sat down and talked about this new courthouse.”

            “We were easily 20 years behind, if not a lot more,” said Chris Talbot, AOC facilities director. Courts, he said, “are a really complex building because they need both prison-level facility standards as well as public-facing components.”

            At the new facility, there are multiple cells, separate circulation routes for inmates and reinforced walls and windows, helping ensure high levels of safety for everyone. Inmates arrive via the sally port on the ground level, move through secure corridors and can be taken upstairs to either of the two courtrooms through private hallways invisible to the public.

Meeting the budget—and cutting costs

            Although the Legislature ultimately approved funding, the budget presented a major challenge. One version of the plan soared to well above $20 million, which prompted lawmakers to call for scaling down.

            “We had to cut quite a bit,” Talbot said. “The final cost is $18.48 million, but we tried very hard to make the building fit well into this community. Besides security, that was one of our highest priorities.”

            To control expenses, contractors avoided costly exterior elements such as stone columns or extensive ornamentation. Instead, the building employs more cost-effective but sturdy materials that match Manti’s historic Main Street aesthetic.

            While smaller than originally planned, the two-story building houses all essential offices and functions. “This is the newest, flagship courthouse in the state of Utah,” Palmer said, adding that it might not be as large as some others, “but it was every bit as well-equipped and well-designed.”

 

Addressing scheduling bottlenecks

            At the old courthouse, judges and clerks had to squeeze all hearings into just one courtroom. According to Chris Morgan, trial court executive for the 6th District, this caused scheduling delays and sometimes put hearings out several months.

            The new courthouse solves that problem by having two courtrooms—one dedicated to adult proceedings and other largely focused on juvenile cases.

            “You need two courtrooms and,…sometimes we need three courtrooms,” Morgan said. “At first, we only had enough funding for one courtroom in the new building. But props to Sen. Derrin Owens, he was able to secure us the final $800,000 we needed for the second courtroom. He did it for the people, not for the court.”

            “In order to sell the idea of a new courthouse to our Legislature, one of the judges kept saying, ‘Justice delayed is justice denied,’” said Linda Ekker, clerk of courts for the 6th District. “That’s what we were running into…Cases were just getting kicked down the road because of scheduling issues. We were scheduling things for 10 months out.

            “If someone comes here and they are trying to get divorced or they need a jury trial or something like that, and they’re waiting for 10 months, that’s not good.”

            The separation between juvenile and adult courtrooms also helps protect sensitive or younger participants from potential exposure to more serious criminal elements.

Separation of state and county operations

            Another advantage of the new building is the full separation of state and county functions. For decades, judicial and county government offices were co-located in the Sanpete County Courthouse. That blurred lines over who was responsible for security and operational costs.

            Now all state judicial offices—adult and juvenile probation, court clerks, a trial court executive and other personnel—occupy the new building, while county offices remain in the old structure.

            The new facility also features a designated and secure entrance for judges, and multiple secure meeting rooms for attorneys and their clients.

Additional features: mediation and remote access

            The building also provides mediation services and a dedicated space for remote court appearances. In one public area, a computer kiosk is set up to allow people without reliable Internet or transportation to participate in hearings in another county, or to file essential court documents electronically.

            “We wanted to improve access to justice for the public,” Morgan, the 6th District court executive, said.

Better working conditions for staff

            Not only does the new courthouse enhance public safety and convenience but it also gives employees a more comfortable and efficient workspace. In the old building, the single service window could create lines. Staff sometimes felt unsafe dealing with the public that had not gone through security screening.

            The new facility has three public service windows, all with security glass. Everyone entering the building—visitors and employees alike—passes through a security checkpoint. That checkpoint ensures that no potential weapons or contraband slip inside.

            Employees have a restricted-access entrance separate from the main entrance.“ And they have reserved parking in the back that is more private and more secure,” noted Talbot.

Probation and juvenile services under one roof

            Previously, probation officers operated out of the Manti City Building, while other court clerks and judges worked in the courthouse. The new structure unifies these agencies, so all functions—adult courts, juvenile courts, probation, guardians ad litem and mediation—are housed in one facility.

            “There’s more efficiency with having all the divisions in one building and not separated,” Morgan said.

            Additionally, a specialized room in the probation area is set up with video capabilities for classes or counseling sessions that involve youth and families from across the state.

Dedication and looking forward

            Construction began in August 2023, and despite occasional supply-chain disruptions with HVAC equipment and electrical components, the project remained on track.

            “Once we broke ground, it’s been pretty smooth sailing,” Talbot said.

            A dedication ceremony is scheduled for March 24 at 11 a.m. “The governor is excited about coming,” Talbot said. “We scheduled around him and the chief justice (of the Utah Supreme Court) so they could both be here.”

            Some residents still recall the intense debates from 15 years ago when the notion of a new courthouse stirred skepticism. Now that it has come to fruition—fully paid for by the state—project backers hope the it will win over critics as they see its benefits in practice.