Lakewood’s misdemeanor inmates are now traveling 11 miles south from their Tacoma prison cells to appear before a judge.

The city began holding arraignments, warrant hearings and other appearances related to its municipal court at Lakewood City Hall on June 8.

Kathleen Westerdahl, the city’s director of court services, says the new venue has made things easier as judges, lawyers, clerks and anyone else who works with the municipal court no longer has to drive to the County-City Building on Tacoma Avenue South.

The change requires Lakewood police officers to pick up inmates arrested on misdemeanor charges in Tacoma, drive them to Lakewood City Hall and return them to jail once their appearances are complete.

A pair of officers now drive up to nine prisoners from Tacoma to Lakewood three times a week. The prisoners enter through a secured area, and holding cells are available if needed.

It takes a couple of hours for the inmates to complete their appearances and get driven back to Tacoma.

Police Chief Bret Farrar said some officers have already volunteered to accompany inmates.

“It’s not putting anymore pressure on us,” he said.

Westerdahl said the room at the County-City Building where the municipal court used to meet was just that – a room.

“We didn’t have access to our computer system,” she said. “There were no fax machines, telephones. We’d have to use our cell phones to make a call.

“It is something we’ve been wanting to do to become more efficient,” she added.

The move won’t change the court’s $1.3 million budget. Westerdahl says any increased transportation costs will be offset by reduced costs at the Pierce County Jail, such as paying a jailer $71 to accompany a prisoner to the courtroom.

People arrested by Lakewood police on felony charges will continue to appear in court at the County-City Building in Tacoma.

Yvonne Pettus, Tacoma Municipal Court administrator, said Lakewood will join cities such as Gig Harbor who drive their misdemeanor inmates back to their municipal court headquarters for appearances.

A few cities, including Puyallup and Fife, have their own jails.

Lakewood Municipal Court’s former space at the County-City Building was located in the jail because of a lack of space, Pettus said.

“It was never really a courtroom in the first place,” she said.

Lakewood Municipal Court has conducted its misdemeanor court appearances in Tacoma since Lakewood became a city in 1996.

Residents can attend at the new location, although they’ll be subject to the same security screening as they were at the County-City Building.

“Same rules, different location,” Westerdahl said.

Brent Champaco: 253-597-8653

brent.champaco@thenewstribune.com