Alabama Judicial Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Heflin-Torbert Judicial Building |
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The Heflin-Torbert Judicial Building
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| General information | |
| Location | 300 Dexter Avenue Montgomery, Alabama, United States |
| Coordinates | 32°22′37″N 86°18′16″W / 32.37694°N 86.30444°W |
| Completed | 1994 |
| Cost | $35 million |
| Owner | State of Alabama |
| Height | |
| Roof | 158 feet (48 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 4 above ground, 2 below |
| Floor area | 338,000 square feet (31,401 m2) |
The Heflin-Torbert Judicial Building, also known as the Alabama Judicial Building, is an important government building in Montgomery, Alabama. It is home to several major state courts and legal offices. These include the Supreme Court of Alabama, the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, and the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. It was the first building in the United States to house all three of these state courts together. The building also holds the State Law Library, which is a big collection of legal books and resources.
This impressive building was finished in 1994. It cost about $35 million to build. Its design is in the neoclassical style, which means it looks similar to ancient Greek and Roman buildings.
Building Design and Features
The Judicial Building is a modern take on neoclassical style. It was designed by architects from Montgomery and Birmingham. The building sits on a city block that is about 300 feet by 320 feet. It stands 158 feet tall at the top of its large dome. The dome itself is 100 feet wide.
The building is made with a strong concrete and steel frame. It is covered with Indiana limestone, a type of stone. The front of the building has a grand entrance with ten tall Ionic columns. These columns support a triangular roof section called a pediment.
Inside, the building has a large central area called a rotunda. This rotunda is about 40 feet tall and 75 feet wide. It is decorated with beautiful Carrara marble and features eight marble columns, each 34 feet tall.
The building has 338,000 square feet of space across six levels.
- The basement level has a parking garage and equipment for the building.
- The ground floor has the Administrative Office of Courts and a Museum of Judicial History. There is also visitor parking here.
- The main lobby level is where the main entrance is. It also has the State Law Library and offices for the court clerks. The two-story rotunda is also on this level.
- The second level houses the Court of Civil Appeals and the Court of Criminal Appeals. Their courtrooms are also found here.
- A mezzanine level has rooms for storing old records, meetings, and extra storage.
- The third, and top, level is where the Supreme Court chamber is located. This room is right above the rotunda and directly under the building's dome.
Ten Commandments Monument
In 2001, a large granite monument of the Ten Commandments was placed in the rotunda of the Judicial Building. This was done by Roy Moore, who was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama at the time. The monument weighed 5,280 pounds.
The placement of this religious monument in a government building caused a lot of discussion across the country. Some people felt it was not allowed because of the First Amendment. This part of the Constitution says the government cannot establish a religion.
A court later ordered the monument to be removed from the building. Chief Justice Moore did not agree with this order. Many people came to the Judicial Building to protest against the monument's removal.
Eventually, the monument was moved from the rotunda on August 27, 2003. It was put into storage. Later, in 2004, it was moved out of the building completely. Roy Moore was removed from his position as Chief Justice in November 2003. However, he was later re-elected by the people and returned to his role as Chief Justice in January 2013.
See Also
