Graham asks to keep 2 S Carolina federal courthouses open
December 12, 2020 GMT
ANDERSON, S.C. (AP) U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham is asking to keep open smaller federal courthouses in Anderson and Spartanburg as a new large federal courthouse is scheduled to open next year in Greenville.
The General Service Administration, which oversees federal buildings, said it has no knowledge of plans to close courthouses in South Carolina.
But local officials in Anderson and Spartanburg said they have heard differently and got Graham’s help.
Jails in Anderson County and Spartanburg County routinely hold federal inmates and having to take them to Greenville County would cost more money and be a security risk, Graham said in his letter obtained by The Independent Mail of Anderson.
That space is essential for the seamless operation of court proceedings during the pandemic, he said.
Most of the Upstate s federal inmates are housed in Anderson and Spartanburg, Graham noted, meaning transportation costs and security risks both increase without the two courthouses in operation.
Graham said the two cities will incur great financial setbacks without the patronage of those visiting and doing business at the federal courthouses.
Anderson officials said the move wouldn t likely affect contracts with the federal government to house inmates in the city jail, though hotels, restaurants and retail establishments typically see an influx of business when trials take place.