AUDIO: Dedication, ribbon cutting held for Judge Charles A. Pratt Justice Center

KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – In a ceremony that was steeped in the past and looking forward to the future, the Kalamazoo community dedicated their brand-new courthouse on Saturday.

County officials and members of the family snipped the ribbon on the Judge Charles A. Pratt Justice Center.

Several hundred people turned out for the event.

Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement said in her keynote, that they were celebrating more than a new building, but also the principle it represents.

Chief Circuit Court Judge Gary Giguerre presided over the event.

He announced that a special statue of “Lady Justice” will become a fixture at the courthouse later this year.

Former Judge Carolyn Williams remembered Judge Pratt, and his 50 years of service to the community where he grew up.

The $94-million Pratt Justice Center at Kalamazoo and Park has been operational since the beginning of the year.