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Judiciary reports progress on three courthouse projects, seeks finish funds for Custom House
Summary
Chief Justice Seitz updated the committee on the Sussex and Kent family-court projects, the Custom House renovation in Wilmington and the statewide security audit; he said the Custom House needs an additional $5 million to complete build-out and flagged facility security as a priority.
Chief Justice Seitz told the Joint Committee on Capital Improvement that work is under way on three major judicial branch projects and that the branch is conducting a security audit of all judicial facilities.
Why it matters: the judiciary’s projects include new and renovated courthouses that house multiple court functions; the Custom House move will allow the judiciary to vacate leased space and reduce rental costs while consolidating several courts in downtown Wilmington.
Major updates
- Cascade e-filing and case-management project. Seitz said the statewide e-filing and case-management initiative (Cascade) is funded primarily through ARPA and is a multi-year technology program. Courts targeted for early rollout include Superior Court Civil, CCP and Justice of the Peace courts; some elements are expected to go live beginning in December 2026.
- Sussex County family-court facility. Construction is progressing; Seitz said the building is expected to be ready for occupancy in early 2026 and that the facility will address significant local needs.
- Kent County courthouse improvements. A space study and reconfiguration are underway to make more efficient use of the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center and to accommodate growing needs, especially for the Court of Chancery; Seitz said planning anticipates a 5–10 year horizon for larger solutions.
- Wilmington Custom House. Seitz said construction of the Custom House in downtown Wilmington is on schedule and on budget; the judiciary is requesting $5,000,000 to finish the project. He also noted expected long-term savings: moving from leased space will reduce annual rent costs by approximately $850,000.
Security audit and facility safety
Seitz told the committee the judiciary has begun a security audit of all judicial facilities to identify necessary improvements in the face of threats to judges and court staff. “The level of threats against judges is…a real serious threat to the third branch of government,” Seitz said, citing national incidents as background and telling members the audit will identify capital and non-capital measures to protect court personnel and the public.
Other smaller requests
Seitz also described targeted projects such as a one-way-entry security lobby improvement at JP Court in Seaford (approximately $1,000,000 requested) and combining JP Court 8 and 9 into a single more efficient facility.
Committee questions and next steps
Members focused on the Custom House finishing funds, traffic and site access around the downtown building, and whether the $5,000,000 ask covers construction completion (Seitz said excluding road improvements it would). He confirmed projected occupancy timelines for the projects and emphasized the security audit will produce prioritized recommendations.
Ending
Seitz concluded by asking for the committee’s continued support for the branch’s capital projects and said the judiciary will present security-audit recommendations and project updates as they become available.
