Throwback Thursday: Judges Demanded Expensive Additions to Courthouse
In 1977, judges in Atlanta, Georgia demanded $7 million – over $21 million in 2023 dollars – for a slew of last-minute upgrades and additions solely for their own comfort and convenience.
Sen. William Proxmire, a Democrat from Wisconsin, awarded the U.S. District Court judges of Atlanta, Georgia his Golden Fleece Award for these selfish and expensive demands.
Originally, a new federal courthouse for Atlanta was approved at a price tag of $47 million, which should have been more than sufficient to meet the needs of the judges. Two years into the construction, however, judges began making demands.
First, the judges insisted on having six jury rooms, despite there only being four courtrooms in the building, along with an oversized chamber for rare “ceremonial occasions.” Additionally, they requested extra wood paneling behind the judges’ chairs, and wanted steel railings and chair bases to be swapped for a more luxurious brass.
The worst part of the redesign, however, pertained to the 22nd floor. After it was completed, the judges decided that they wanted to completely overhaul the Clerk of the Court’s filing system, upgrading it to a mechanized system that was so heavy, it required that the entire floor be redone, the supports be replaced, and the building exterior be updated.
All of these pesky requests to help spruce up the already expensive building resulted in 230 change orders, which were originally set to cost taxpayers $18 million, but negotiations added $7 million. As Proxmire humorously notes, “These judges ought to be sentenced to embarrassment for life without hope of parole for holding the American taxpayer in such contempt!”
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