Crime & Safety

El Cajon Courthouse Opens Again for Normal Hours

After an electrical problem shut the complex down yesterday, it's back up and running.

The El Cajon courthouse is open for normal business hours on Wednesday, after an electrical overheating problem caused it to on Tuesday, due to the loss of power and phone service to the building.

An overheated and smoking electrical panel caused to come down to the courthouse at 1:40 a.m. Tuesday, according to El Cajon city spokeswoman Monica Zech. No fire was found, just the smoke.

The courthouse will remain closed for the rest of Tuesday, as authorities investigate the cause of the overheating. No announcement has been made about when it will reopen.

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The closure was entirely unexpected, and court employees, prospective jurors and others learned of the courthouse closure via a posted sign, flanked by four deputies standing outside the building's entrance, Zech said.

If you were scheduled to appear on traffic or misdeameanor arraignments, come back to the El Cajon courthouse within the next seven days to have the case heard, authorities said.  

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If you were scheduled for jury duty, call the Jury Commissioner's office at (619) 450-5757.


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