Many, many efforts have been made in recent years to close down the Charlestown District Court.
There is a perception in government and among some working inside the judiciary that something good or even better might be gained by shutting down the court here.
“Nothing will be gained by doing so,” said Representative Gene O’Flaherty, who hosted a visit by influential judges and many of his colleagues in the House at the Court House, Thursday morning.
Past attempts to close the court have been strongly challenged and turned around by O’Flaherty, chair of the House Judiciary Committee.
In fact, O’Flaherty is pushing for the court to add a Drug Court in the Charlestown Court to deal with the issues of substance abuse and to implement through its creation the progressive idea that many under the influence of drugs who commit lesser crimes or who are arrested for possession of drugs should be treated for their drug abuse rather than punished for the crimes they committed.