Accessibility

Accessibility

(See Needs of Persons with Disabilities for disability access information.)

Trial courts should be open and freely accessible to the public. Access is important not just to those directly involved in court cases, but also to many others:

• People involved in probate or juvenile and domestic relations cases
• Persons investigating public records
• Relatives and friends of litigants
• Attorneys
• Jurors
• Press and Media
• Law Enforcement
• Witnesses
• The general public

Sample Site Plan showing court facility proximity to public transportation, parking, and pedestrians.

Standard 1.2 of Trial Court Performance Standards states that "court facilities are safe, accessible, and convenient to use." This standard urges courts to be concerned about the centrality of their location in the community, the adequacy of their parking facilities, the availability of public transportation, the court's security, and the internal layout of the buildings, including the signs used to guide visitors to important locations. For more information, see the National Center for State Courts and the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Trial Court Performance Standards.