State Rep. Linda Gentile said the Superior Court on Elizabeth Street came off the chopping block and will remain open, under a budget plan adopted by state lawmakers.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell wanted to close the court as a cost-cutting measure in a bad economy.
However, Valley leaders have been pressuring Rell to keep it open, arguing its closure would be disastrous for downtown Derby.
Click the video to watch footage from a rally Valley leaders attended in June.
The proposed plan was to transfer Derby cases to Milford court.
“There was no way Milford would have been able to handle it,” Gentile said Tuesday afternoon.
Mayor Anthony Staffieri said he was happy to hear the court will remain as is.
He has repeatedly said the court, its employees and attorneys who visit each day play a vital role in the local economy.
“We knew, once they saw how important it is, they wouldn’t close it,” Staffieri said. “I want to thank Gov. Rell and everyone who helped us out.”
Gentile, a Democrat who represents Ansonia and Derby, said the court was saved during intense budget negotiations over the weekend.
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