What’s the parking situation at Modesto’s new downtown courthouse? Your question, answered
Construction on a new courthouse in downtown Modesto is slated to finish in February 2025. The facility is being built on a 3.5-acre lot between G and H streets and Ninth and 10th streets.
The new full-service courthouse will replace the Ceres and Turlock courtrooms — in addition to five smaller court facilities in Modesto — expanding services countywide, according to the project’s website.
Modesto Bee reader Dayle Crook asked whether the Stanislaus County Courthouse will have parking for jurors and, if so, where it will be.
We reached out to the Judicial Council of California, which helped answer Crook’s question. Here’s what it said about parking at the new building:
Will Modesto’s new courthouse have parking for jurors?
Modesto’s new courthouse has been in the plans for over a decade. The project was proposed in 2000, but wasn’t authorized until 2010. Funding shortfalls delayed the project, and construction eventually began in 2022.
Site constraints often limit the parking for new courthouse projects, said Blaine Corren, a state Judicial Council spokesman.
The building will occupy 308,964 square feet of the 3.5-acre lot, he said.
“As far as the new Modesto courthouse, there are no plans to build/provide additional parking specifically for jurors,” Corren said.
There are three public parking garages in the area where jurors and other visitors of the court can park. Parking in these garages has a charge of $1.25 per hour, according to the city’s website.
Reimbursement for parking will be the court’s decision, Corren said.
There are free parking options along Eighth Street between K and L streets, according to the court’s website.
Other transportation options to the Stanislaus County Courthouse
Some courts in the state offer free public transit services for jurors, which Corren says is also a local court decision.
A jury summons in Stanislaus County can be used as a bus pass on the first date of appearance, according to the court. Summoned residents selected to serve on juries can request bus passes for the length of the service.
This story was originally published September 11, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
.jpg)