Athens Reporter

The Athens-Clarke County Courthouse, located at 325 East Washington Street, will be closed from the afternoon of Monday, July 22, 2024, until Monday, July 29, 2024, to treat the facility for bed bugs.

Superior Court Chief Judge Lisa Lott issued a judicial emergency order on July 22 to close the Courthouse, cancel jury trials and hearings, and suspend many judicial activities. Additional orders will address late filing dates, temporary protective orders, and other court-related issues. Acting Athens-Clarke County Unified Government (ACCGov) Manager Niki Jones has also closed workstations for non-judicial offices in the Courthouse.

Affected public offices in the Courthouse include Superior Court, Municipal Court, Probate Court, Magistrate Court, Juvenile Court, State Court, the Clerk of Superior and State Court, the Sheriff’s Office, the Solicitor General’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, the Tax Assessors Office, the Tax Commissioner’s Office, and Central Services Records and Mail Room. The Courthouse parking deck will remain open as normal.

For more information on services offered, visit individual office websites at www.accgov.com or contact individual offices through phone or email contacts listed at www.accgov.com/directory. Emergency contact information for all offices will also be posted at the Courthouse entrance.

After the Athens-Clarke County Central Services Department was made aware of possible bed bugs in areas of the building, it contacted an on-call pest control company for a full assessment. Once the company confirmed the presence of bed bugs, the Central Services Department and Facilities Management Division recommended the temporary closure of the Courthouse to Chief Judge Lott to provide necessary multi-day measures to treat the spaces. Although bed bugs were only found in areas on three levels, treatment involves closing and treating the entire facility.

Tentative plans call for treatment through the weekend with a re-opening of the Courthouse on Monday, July 29. Additional entry measures may be required for employees and visitors once the building is re-opened.

Due to the number of visitors and employees who visit daily, the source of bed bugs is not known.

Bed bugs are small parasitic insects that cannot fly. They are usually transported from place to place as people travel. Bed bugs can be transported from many different sources including schools and hotels.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bed bugs are not known to spread disease and do not usually pose a serious medical threat. Bed bugs have been found in five-star hotels and resorts; their presence is not determined by cleanliness conditions where they are found.

For more information on bed bugs visit resources from CDC (www.cdc.gov/bed-bugs), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (www.epa.gov/bedbugs), or Georgia Department of Public Health (dph.georgia.gov/environmental-health/insects-and-diseases).