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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Pipe Burst Floods Criminal Justice Center

Travis County officials were working Friday to clean up flooding at the downtown Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center after a water pipe burst on the fifth floor, drenching parts of that floor and floors below.

"It is a mess," said County Court-at-Law Judge Nancy Hohengarten, who had assessed the damage to her fourth-floor courtroom and chambers. "My bench was all wet, my computer was fried. Parts of my courtroom were dry and parts of it were a mess."

Hohengarten said other courtrooms and the district attorney's office were damaged but that the water came down on the northwest corner of the building, away from the district clerk's office, which holds critical records.

The flood was discovered by sheriff's officers Friday morning, said Capt. Wes Priddy of the Travis County sheriff's office.

The courthouse and other county offices were closed for the Christmas holiday, but the building was open for bonding services.

Priddy said he did not know the extent of the damage but said the cleanup is ongoing.

Defense lawyer Benjamin Blackburn said he was at the building at about 7 a.m. trying to get a client released from jail and observed a mess.

"It was raining on the inside lobby on the first floor," Blackburn said.

The building has had its share of problems since opening in December 2000, including past issues with leaking pipes and malfunctioning elevators. The building ended up costing the county $45 million, more than twice the original estimate.

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