Ceremony to mark new Farmington Town Court

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Cozy might be one way to put it. Cramped is another.

At times, the Farmington Town Court operation could be considered downright dangerous.

The tiny basement court in the 37-year-old Town Hall has been overcrowded for years, said Town Justice Morris Lew, who is in his 12th year on the bench.

“It creates a very challenging atmosphere to work in,” Justice Lew said.

Officials in the Ontario County town are hopeful a new town court will solve many problems and make for a safer, more judicial atmosphere on court nights. The new court facility at 1023 Hook Road will be dedicated this Saturday, with an open house to follow.

“We desperately needed this,” Justice Lew said.

The town of Farmington has grown and consequently the courts have grown along with it, said Supervisor Ted Fafinski.

Farmington has the second busiest court in Ontario County, just behind the neighboring Victor Town Court. Justices may handle up to 107 cases on district attorney nights. The old courtroom, by code, is only allowed to hold 35 people, Fafinski said.

The operation had been conducted in a 600-square-foot room in the basement and justices and court clerks shared a desk in a 300-square-foot office.

Prisoners were held in a break room, and depending on the court night, people were forced to wait outside the building, Justice Lew said. Attorneys often had to confer with clients in crowded hallways.

“The primary reason for this is safety, safety for the public and safety for the court officials,” Fafinski said.

A separate holding cell is included in the 8,000-square-foot structure, which is larger and has more parking. In addition to separate offices for prosecutors and public defenders to talk with clients, the courtroom itself can hold about 100 people.

The court also is equipped for future growth in the town, Fafinski said.

The Town Board originally explored opening a new court at its former highway garage, but the idea was scrapped because of costs. The board selected the MRB Group, which designed the town’s new highway garage and department of public works facility, for the project.

Construction of the $1.8 million court facility was funded through video lottery terminal impact aid secured by state Sen. Michael Nozzolio, R-Fayette, Seneca County, as was the highway garage before it.

State legislation requires that aid from terminals be set aside for host communities, although the money is not always allocated, Fafinski said. But Nozzolio and state Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua, have been good about doing so for Farmington, Fafinski said.

And there is a direct link between the number of court cases and the gaming facility. A 15 percent increase in caseload is attributed to the facility, Fafinski said.

“If we did not have the aid, we would have to borrow,” Fafinski said.