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Newly elected judge presses jury for office space; board sets one‑week timeline to confirm landlord work or present alternatives
Summary
Judge Faldeman Menard told jurors she lacks a local, secure office and has been driving to Gonzales; the jury authorized staff to contact the proposed landlord for a firm timeline and asked staff to present alternate options within one week if the landlord cannot commit.
Judge Faldeman Menard addressed the jury during the regular meeting to request a secure, local office and asked the jury to set timelines to resolve the issue.
Menard said she took the bench Jan. 1 and has been traveling to Gonzales for courtroom duties; she said she needs an office near the courthouse for safety and public access. The judge said a privately owned building (referred to in the minutes as the "Rob" property) had been discussed but that renovations had not progressed and that lease drafts had been exchanged without visible construction or readiness. She asked the jury to set firm deadlines so she could have a functioning office in the parish.
Jurors discussed alternatives — partitioning other available buildings, modular solutions and short‑term rentals — and tasked staff to contact the prospective landlord (Mr. Martin in the minutes) and request a clear move‑in timeline. The jury set a one‑week window for a response; if no concrete timeline or progress is reported within that week, the jury directed staff to pursue alternative options and present them at the next meeting.
The jurors did not adopt a lease at the meeting; rather, they authorized staff to obtain a timeline from the landlord and to prepare options (plan B) to ensure the judge has a local, secure workspace within a near‑term schedule.
