People waiting in long lines for a day in court can expect some relief thanks to the addition of a fifth courtroom to the DeKalb County Courthouse, 110 E. Sycamore Street.

The cost of the construction is about $350,000, said Robert Hutchieson, chairman of the public building commission. The work began in February and the room should be ready to use by the end of this month, he said.

The money came from the renewal and replacement fund set aside by the county, said Gary Hanson, deputy county administrator.

The courtroom will be a non-jury courtroom designed to help with the overload from traffic and family court.

“We’re trying to serve the public better and trying to get them in and out of court better,” Chief Judge Kurt Klein said. “As the county grows, traffic and family law calls are exploding.”

The county sees several hundred family law calls and thousands of traffic cases every year, Klein said.

The state’s attorney’s office moved to the new administrative center in March 2002, clearing up space in the courthouse for a fifth courtroom, County Administrator Ray Bockman said.

Circuit Judge James Donnelly will preside over the new third-floor courtroom, said Maureen Josh, circuit clerk for DeKalb County.

Currently, people have to wait in the halls because the courtrooms can’t accommodate them. The new courtroom will eliminate those problems and will become a gathering place for jurors and for meetings, Josh said.

She also said it has not been determined how many cases the new courtroom will see.

The courtroom originally was to be built for new circuit judges. The 2000 census showed the 16th circuit, consisting of DeKalb, Kane and Kendall counties, needed two more judges, but the state’s budget deficit has put a hold on those plans.

The former state’s attorney’s office will have a judge’s chamber, a few small offices and some conference rooms, Hutchieson said.

The courtroom will be smaller than existing ones, as it is intended to be a lower-volume courtroom and will be wired for different technology, like video recording and computer access, Hanson said.