POUGHKEEPSIE – Minutes after opening the doors at 9 a.m. for court activities Tuesday morning, New York State Court officers were forced to evacuate the Dutchess County Courthouse due to an overwhelming odor of natural gas in and around the Market Street building. Central Hudson Gas & Electric responded to the historic building to investigate the source.
Supreme and County Court judges were escorted to an off-site location, and at least one man, on trial for murder, was escorted by several correction officers to another courthouse in the vicinity until the building was declared safe.
Dozens of people, including criminal and civil attorneys and their clients were lined up along Market Street, all the way to the Dutchess County Office Building, to await the clearance to return to the building for their appearances. Jurors in at least one trial were also evacuated.
It was determined that ongoing construction in the courthouse was the source of the gas odor, and the building was declared safe around 10 a.m.
The court officers worked diligently to re-screen everyone returning to the courthouse, and judicial proceedings in the building resumed at approximately 10:20 a.m.
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