People deserve answers about the four-month closure of the Newport District Courthouse and when it will open, a state representative said.
The district courthouse at 12 Water St. in Newport closed abruptly Jan. 27 because of mold. In the four months since, the mold has not been fully remediated, according to Maine Judicial Branch spokesperson Barbara Cardone.
At this point there haven’t been any positive conversations about changes and reopening, Rep. Kenneth Fredette, R-Newport, said.
“I hate to think that we’re having this conversation when 2026 comes around and so I’m really frustrated with the judiciary at this point,” Fredette said.
Maine state law mandates a district court in Newport to serve western Penobscot County. Without it, people in the area have instead had to drive to Bangor to conduct court business. That means people are driving at least 28 miles farther each way to reach a courthouse, with some people traveling longer distances.
The landlord of the Newport building wants to increase rent, which is not part of the current budget, Cardone said. She was unable to provide more details about the lease because the negotiations are ongoing.
“The bottom line is they’re required to have a courthouse, and if they’re not going to work with the current landlord, what’s the plan?” Fredette said of the state’s judicial system. “I think people deserve to have some answers on expectations from our judicial branch.”
The judicial system has “very limited financial resources” and is waiting until the end of the legislative session to see the outcome of the budget, Cardone said. If the system cannot cover the costs, it cannot commit to the higher rate, she said.
The legislative session ends June 18 and a budget will be passed by that time.
Finding a new location that meets the needs of the courthouse is also possible, Cardone said.
Fredette, who sits on the Legislature’s Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs, said he has not heard from members of the judicial system about the budget and finding more money to pay the Newport courthouse’s rent.
“If somebody wants to talk to me about a courthouse in Newport, they got my cell phone number and certainly if I get a call from the judicial branch it’s not like I’m not going to take it,” Fredette said.