San Joaquin County DA asks Newsom to reject proposal to redirect new Tracy courthouse funding
TRACY – The San Joaquin County District Attorney has asked Gov. Gavin Newsom to reject a proposal that would redirect funding from the construction of a new courthouse in Tracy to other courthouses in need across the state.
Newsom's 2025-2026 budget proposes allocating $2.9 million to help start the construction of a new two-courtroom courthouse in Tracy. It would replace four existing vacant court facilities and is estimated to cost $65 million.
The project is next in line on the judicial branch's 2019 facilities project list and would return court services back to Tracy, which were closed in 2011 due to budget restraints. It would cost $1.2 million annually to operate the new courthouse.
The Legislative Analyst's Office has recommended redirecting the $2.9 million to focus on facilities "with the most pressing unsafe conditions for current staff and court users."
The LAO says there are facilities in places like Kern and Placer counties that are being used despite being in poor condition and could use the funding instead. The LAO recommends the new Tracy courthouse could be funded sometime in the future.
However, San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas said in his letter to Newsom that the project is an important investment to the county, saying it would ensure access to justice, public safety and an efficient administration of its judicial system.
Freitas says southern San Joaquin County is one of the fastest-growing areas in the state without a courthouse.
"Redirecting funding from this project would not only delay justice for thousands of residents but also undermine the state's commitment to improving court infrastructure and ensuring equitable access to legal resources," Freitas said in the letter.
Freitas also said the new courthouse would cut down on traffic, saying it would prevent people from having to travel to downtown Stockton.
The Superior Court of San Joaquin County has five buildings: the Stockton Courthouse, French Camp Juvenile Justice Center, Manteca Branch Courthouse, Lodi Department 1 and Lodi Department 2.
