Article on the New Bedford Courthouse

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 10:22 pm

It appears that when the new court house in Fall River is operational it will handle all criminal cases in Bristol County. The court house in New Bedford where Lizzie was tried will handle only civil cases.

http://tinyurl.com/5aj4xc

Wow, just think about this: If the court house had been there in 1893 Lizzie's trial would have been just across the street from #92.

Tina-Kate · Post by **Tina-Kate** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:57 am

Thanks Harry.

Ironic...send all the criminals to Fall River!

That's funny re. if it had happened before the Borden murders. They could dig a tunnel to transport Lizzie back & forth without dealing with the crowds.

If found guilty, they could incorporate the Borden house into the structure & just put bars on ALL the windows.

Imagine poor Lizzie sentenced to a life of living @ 92! If she did it, there would be an apt justice in that.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 12:10 pm

We were just gabbing about this at the house. We used to worry about the creepy people getting off the bus at the bus stop across the street and the brawling party animals from the late-night bar carousing on the streets after Last Call (the view from the third floor was quite an eyeful on late summer nights). Now we will have hardened criminals prowling the street. I think I may not be doing anymore late night city tours, Andrew's Last Walk, or Visits by Moonlight to the Whitehead House . On the plus side, probably MOST of these criminal types ought to be off the streets when the courthouse closes late in the day.
Today it is not the criminal element we are concerned with- it is the temperature soaring this weekend to 96 plus degrees- and our air conditioner is down at the house, awaiting a new blower part to arrive. Of course these things only happen on the hottest day of the year! And tomorrow is Lizzie's birthday to boot. I suspect the icing will melt right off the cake

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 5:41 pm

I was visiting a friend of mine who got himself in legal trouble and there is a sign on the front wall of the main jail in a city a few miles from my house that says, "Everyone is to be off this sidewalk by 9:00PM." Believe you me, at 9:00PM it is so quite around that jail you can hear a pin drop!

Isn't that the way it is Shelley? Everything goes out when you need it most. Um... You did put a hatchet on Lizzie's cake didn't you, Shelley?

-1bigsteve (o:

mbhenty · Post by **mbhenty** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 1:25 am

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 4:02 am

I remember that, MB!

BTW: My A/C went out the same time! We had 3 black-outs that week, and a brown-out (power) on Friday, and on Saturday my outside fan stopped. So it was the hottest day so far this year- 94 degrees and they said it "felt like" 102 that Saturday. I stayed inside all weekend to acclimate with my house. If I had gone anywhere to air conditioning, I doubt I could have come home. Cool showers. Drank lots of water.
Napped a lot. Read Hatchet submissions. I might as well have been out of power.
What a coincidence tho!

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 4:13 am

Thanks for the info, and link, Har! Interesting observation!

Speaking of the motto, "We'll Try"- here is a news article on that for download:

mbhenty · Post by **mbhenty** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 11:32 am

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 3:48 am

I read [I think in V.V., or Judith Boss?] that Southard Miller was on that Board of Aldermen who invented that town slogan "We'll Try." In the photo of him and his cohorts, they all look rather elderly and white-haired. I thought they were just the men to say "We'll Try." (They looked a bit tired). It could have been *In-A-Minute-Dear!*

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:57 am

The new courthouse in Fall River is experiencing delays and may not be finished until 2010. There's an article and nice photo of it at the Herald News site:

http://www.heraldnews.com/news/local_ne ... ing-delays

Nadzieja · Post by **Nadzieja** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 9:07 am

I started reading this thread from the beginning. Harry in the first post where you said it was operational----all I could think of was the "death star" in Star Wars. I'm sorry to say that I really don't like that building, it has nothing to do with the workers etc.... I just don't think it belongs there. It's way too big for that street. It's like having a pet elephant in a studio apartment.

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 9:35 am

I agree, Lorraine, Second Street is way too small for a building that size. Surely they could have found a better location for it.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 10:21 am

It is especially imposing now that all the siding is on. It looks like one enormous concrete gray BLOCK and is a real eyesore on Second Street which blocks the view over to South Main. Sad. Sad. Sad. In conjunction with the city hall over route 195, the two chunky structures look like an adult correctional institution. Actually the ACI in Warwick has some more beautiful Victorian architecture-even though it is surrounded by chainlink and barbed wire.

Stefani · Post by **Stefani** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 10:43 am

Back when the decision was made to put the damn thing there, I voiced my opinion that it would mess up the view, the sun, the neighborhood. As I recall, those who worked at the house were very positive about the new courthouse, thinking it would bring in new people to the downtown, etc. All I remember was excited happy people.

The back of a concrete building that blocks out the sunset, that brings criminals to the city to be adjudicated, that has no parking to go with the building, is going to create big problems for 92 Second Street.

Why didn't they convert a mill instead? God knows there are enough empty ones in Fall River.