The federal government is considering closing as many as 60 courthouses around the country. Five of them are in Georgia.

The Georgia sites are Athens, Dublin, Statesboro, Waycross and Valdosta in the Middle and Southern Federal Court Districts.

Dublin Attorney Jim Nelson says if the courthouse closed he would have to travel more than 100 miles to try many criminal and civil cases and charge defendants for his time and mileage.

“It would be expensive and very much inconvenient for the public, the parties that are involved in the case and jurors.”

Local jurors would travel to courts as well. Nelson says the federal government unsuccessfully attempted to close the Dublin courthouse in the late 1990’s. It’s since undergone a multimillion dollar renovation.

Tags: Valdosta, Athens, Dublin, Waycross, federal court, Statesboro, courthouse closures