Jackson Free Press

The elevators in the Hinds County Circuit Court building are hanging on by a thread.

For weeks, the elevators have been plagued with issues that appear to be a combination of age, sabotage or both. At times, only one of the two elevators in the five-story courthouse functions; at other times, both elevators have been inoperable.

At this week's Hinds County supervisors' meeting, District 3 Supervisor Peggy Hobson-Calhoun requested for funding to upgrade the elevators, which could cost nearly $300,000, but Calhoun's motion was unsuccessful, failing on a 2-2 vote. Graham said the elevators require only modernization, by replacing five broken coils.

But Calhoun also read from an email that board President Robert Graham wrote suggesting some of the elevator issues may have resulted from foul play. In the email, Graham stated that two employees of the company that formerly did elevator maintenance work for the county would no longer be allowed in the courthouse.

"Tony, who works for Dixie Elevators, the company that presently maintains our service, says he has evidence that Mr. Davis entered HCC under false pretense stating that he needed to inspect the elevators," Graham wrote of the county courthouse. While there, (Davis) turned off the power to the elevators. The power was restored the next day after the present technician with Dixie Elevators discovered what had happened."
 In addition to preventing the men entry to the building, county officials locked the elevator control box to prevent tampering. In the meantime, the running the courthouse has been a challenge because people needing to get to courtrooms and offices on the upper floors must take the stairs, which is especially problematic for people participating in court proceedings such as trials and jury selection.

Mississippi state Rep. Alyce Clarke, a Democrat from Jackson, who walks with a cane, uses the building often to attend youth and drug courts. She said she is disappointed the board did not vote to replace or fix the elevators, nor did Graham allow her to address supervisors.

"They hurt my feelings--the fact that they didn't do anything about it," Clarke told the Jackson Free Press. "It's unfair to the citizens who pay taxes."

Mary Troupe, executive director of Just Advocacy, said she has heard a lot of complaints from disabled people who have been turned away from jury duty.

"That's not what people with disabilities want to do. We want to be as much as part of community life as possible," Troupe said.

"You should not have to say 'I cant do it' because it's not accessible. We want to fully participate in the community."

A message left for Hinds County maintenance Director Michael Harrington was not returned.