TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – The Leon County Courthouse and Annex will re-open to the public Wednesday, but criminal courts will remain closed for a second day due to complications from an underground electrical fire on Monroe Street.
The fire – which cracked the pavement and reportedly blew a manhole cover into the air – prompted power outages, road closings and emergency repairs.
Yellow tape stretched across entrances to the Leon County Courthouse Tuesday and signs on the doors said the courthouse would be closed until further notice.
“Both buildings have full power, and a structural engineer has reviewed the Courthouse and found no concerns,” Leon County said in a press release announcing the re-opening of the courthouse and the annex.
However, all criminal courts will remain closed for a second day, according to a statement released late Tuesday by Chief Circuit Judge Frank Allman.
“The reported explosions and accompanying fire near the Leon County Courthouse this morning have severely impacted the ability of the criminal courts in the Second Judicial Circuit,” Allman said. “Despite considerable efforts to restore normal operations, the damage to network hardware has made accessing necessary databases impossible.”
The court closure impacted hundreds of cases in Leon County alone.
State Attorney Jack Campbell posted an update on social media Tuesday afternoon saying the only exception will be first appearances which will resume. Other non-criminal court proceedings can continue at the discretion of the judge, he said.
Campbell said the phone systems and computer infrastructure is still compromised throughout the Second Circuit. He said a decision concerning the rest of the week’s court proceedings will be made Wednesday.
Crews worked throughout the day Tuesday to repair the roadway between the Leon County Courthouse and Florida’s Capitol. Monroe Street was ultimately re-opened to traffic about 10 hours later.
Work continues to try to fully restore Leon County’s fiber optic network, which was damaged in the fire, Leon County Administrator Vince Long said in a press release.
“Some services may be limited until the network is fully restored,” Long said.
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