Bucks County Judge Wants Redo On Justice Center Project

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- The future of a new criminal justice center in Bucks County could be up in the air after a judge adamantly called on the county commissioners to scrap the project, calling it an "expensive white elephant."

Judge Alan Rubenstein, claiming to be the voice for all thirteen county judges, says the new justice center will be obsolete even before the first brick is laid.

Rubenstein called reporters together to say the commissioners will be misusing public funds if they build the justice center under the current proposal.

Rubenstein claims the new building does not address the same problems plaguing the current courthouse, such as space and safety.

Commissioner Diane Marseglia also believes the project should be scrapped, but for different reasons.

"I would disagree with his verbiage and some of the... I guess I would call them 'bullying' comments that he made, but I am not in favor of the magnitude of the project and I think it could have been made smaller," Marseglia told KYW Newsradio on Tuesday.

The commissioners are expected to meet Thursday to talk about awarding contracts for the project.  The issue was tabled last week when commissioner Charley Martin said he would not build it if the judge's weren't on board.

Reported by Brad Segall, KYW Newsradio 1060.