ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Saturday, August 10, 1996              TAG: 9608120042
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: C-1  EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
DATELINE: BIG STONE GAP
SOURCE: Associated Press 
MEMO: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition. 

COURT'S FUTURE IS HAZY BIG STONE GAP MAY SHUT DOWN

The U.S. District Courthouse in Big Stone Gap is one of 75 federal courts in the country being considered for elimination by the administrative offices of the United States Courts.

But proponents of keeping the court say it's too busy to shut down.

The study is looking at ``underutilized'' court facilities - courts where no judge is in permanent residence, but where the General Services Administrative is paid rent.

Sen. John Warner, R-Va., and Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon, have sent letters to the judicial administration and the chief judge of the Western District of Virginia in support of keeping the courthouse.

``In addition to the large case load at the Big Stone Gap facility, another consideration is the topography of the region which it serves and the needs of the citizens of the region,'' Boucher wrote.

The service area ``includes some of the most rural and mountainous counties in Virginia. ... Under the most favorable weather conditions, travel is time-consuming and difficult, often involving steep and winding two-lane roads,'' Boucher wrote.

Court Clerk Libby Sharp said speculation about the court being eliminated is nothing new. ``We've had rumors for 17 years that we were going to close, but we never did,'' she said.

According to Sharp, the Big Stone Gap court is the busiest of the seven courts in the Western District with the exception of Roanoke, the headquarters of the district.

The courthouse is used by a magistrate judge twice a week and for bankruptcy trustee meetings and depositions. It also is used by retired U.S. District Judge Glen Williams.

Williams said he sees no need to panic:

``If the matter is judged fairly, then I don't think people have anything to worry about. ... For what there is, that's the most utilized courthouse in the county.''

LENGTH: Short :   47 lines