Richland County will celebrate the new home for its Hopkins Magistrate Office with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday, Oct. 7.
Residents of Hopkins and the Lower Richland community are invited to the ribbon cutting, which will begin at 11 a.m. at the new office at 5425 Lower Richland Blvd., Hopkins. A walking tour of the facility and a reception in the lobby will follow. Because the tour is indoors, face coverings are required, and physical distancing will be observed.
Built to better meet the needs of the Magistrate Office, the 4,900-square-foot structure offers increased space, including a larger courtroom. The County used a public safety bond to pay for the office.
“The new Hopkins Magistrate Office was a vision of Council, County staff and our local magistrates, and now we have seen it come to fruition,” said Councilwoman Cheryl English, District 10. “This office can serve as a point of pride for the County, as we are better equipped to serve residents of the Hopkins community.”
The office’s opening marks the return of magistrate services in the Hopkins community after several years’ absence. The office most recently operated out of the Richland County Central Court facility on Decker Boulevard.
With 14 full-time and three part-time magistrates, Richland County Magistrate Court aims to give residents a fair and impartial summary court. For more information, visit www.richlandcountysc.gov/Government/Courts-and-Judicial-System/Magistrates.