MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A broken air conditioning system at the Criminal Justice Center at 201 Poplar is forcing workers out and at least one court to close as temperatures rise.
A spokesperson for the county mayor confirmed Wednesday that the air had been out of service in the building since Monday.
The building also experienced a power outage Wednesday morning, Court Clerk Tami Sawyer said. The issues prompted Sawyer to announce that General Sessions Court Clerk's Criminal Division would be closed Wednesday afternoon.
A WREG reporter who was inside the building on Wednesday said it felt "like a sauna" and people inside complained that court hearings were being canceled.
A spokesperson for the District Attorney's office told WREG they were working remotely Wednesday.
A sheriff's office spokesman said that inside the jail, "fans and blowers are being used to cool things down and water coolers are being utilized in the housing units."
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Kelly Roberts, spokesperson for the mayor's office, said all efforts were being made to pump cool external air into the building, as crews worked "around the clock" to set up temporary chillers. One of those chillers was operational Wednesday while another was expected to be running by the end of the day, she said.
"We ask that judges and other elected officials use their best judgment regarding appropriate responses to the impact this may cause in their respective areas and to their employees," Roberts said.
The Walter Bailey Criminal Justice Center houses many county courts, the district attorney's office, and the county jail.
The facility has suffered from aging and broken infrastructure and county leaders are currently exploring ways to replace it. ...read more read less
