FILED
Oct 01 2001
United States District Court
Northern District of Ohio
General Order
GENERAL ORDER NO. 2001-46
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO
)
IN RE: GUIDELINES FOR THE USE ) ORDER NO. 2001-46
OF SPACE IN COURT HOUSES )
)
At the regular judges’ meeting held on October 1, 2001, the Court approved the
attached “Guidelines for the Use of Space in Court Houses.”
IT IS SO ORDERED.
FOR THE COURT
Paul R. Matia
Chief Judge
United States District Court
GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF SPACE IN COURT HOUSES
Background:
The Court has been approached by several parties with requests to use the new
court house for several types of events, be it dinners, fund-raisers, or other social
gatherings. The Chief Judge has referred this matter to the Space and Facilities
Committee for a policy recommendation to address these requests.
As a point of general information, GSA is the landlord of the court houses and
federal buildings throughout the country. The court pays rent for all “court” space. All
public spaces such as lobbies, cafeterias, auditoriums and the like are considered “joint
use” space over which GSA has exclusive jurisdiction. GSA Great Lakes Region has
developed “Guidelines for Occasional Use of Public Space” to address inquiries they
have received for the use of space throughout the region, which is attached for your
reference.
Judge O’Malley conducted a comprehensive survey regarding national practices
in other court houses regarding the use of space, the results of which were provided to
the Facilities and Special Projects Committee for consideration. The Committee
proposed that requests for the use of space be processed through the Clerk, which
would 1) permit the court to monitor and control the use of the court house, and 2) have
the clerk serve as a liaison to facilitate the processing of these requests to GSA.
Recommendation:
It is the Committee’s recommendation that the Court adopt the attached
proposed “Guidelines for the Use of Space in Court Houses” in the Northern District of
Ohio. All future requests for the use of such space in any court house in the Northern
District of Ohio would be submitted to the GSA Building Manager on GSA Form 3453
with a simultaneous copy provided to the Clerk of Court. The GSA Building Manager
will work closely with the Clerk of Court in processing these requests. The Clerk of
Court will coordinate with the Chief Judge in obtaining the Court’s recommendation
which will be returned to the GSA Building Manager via the Clerk of Court.
U.S. DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO
GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF SPACE IN COURT HOUSES
Public Space:
1. All requests for the occasional use of public areas in court houses shall be
submitted in writing on GSA Form 3453, “Application/Permit for Use of Space in
Public Buildings and Grounds,” attached, and submitted to the GSA Building
Manager with a simultaneous copy provided to the Clerk of Court.
2. The Clerk of Court, after consultation with the Chief Judge, shall submit all
applications for the use of public space, with the Court’ recommendation, to GSA,
who has exclusive jurisdiction over public space, for approval or denial of the
permit.
Court Space:
1. Courtrooms: Judges may approve the use of their individual courtrooms for
educational and cultural activities at their discretion.
2. Requests for other court space, such as jury assembly rooms and training rooms,
will be made in writing to the Clerk of Court on GSA Form 3453. The Clerk will
follow the spirit of the GSA Great Lakes Region Policy, “Guidelines for the
Occasional Use of Public Space,” and with the Chief Judge’s approval, manu
grant the occasional use of this space. No requests for access to private court
space, such as chambers, will be honored.*
3. All persons and organizations desiring to use court space will be charged by
GSA for direct expenses related to building services including security guards,
cleaning, mechanical systems usage, and support services as required.
*Any such requests are to be submitted to the individual judicial officer.
