Courthouse expansion has the public in mind. (planned construction of Suffolk County Courthouse complex in Massachusetts) (Focus: The Legal Profession)

The Weld administration announced plans in mid-December to go ahead with the $72 million construction of a new Suffolk County Courthouse complex at New Chardon Street and a $68 million rehabilitation of the 53-year-old "new" and 100-year-"old" parts of the Suffolk County Courthouse at Pemberton Square.

The announcement culminated a joint planning effort involving the judiciary branch, a Division of Capital Planning and Operations (DCPO) commission, and the Vitetta Group, an architectural and planning consultant in Philadelphia.

"|This~ announcement allows us a vision of a hopeful future, . . . of user-friendly courts that are comprehensible and inviting, . . . courts that enlist modern technology in order to serve citizens more swiftly and more equitably," said Gov. William Weld at the Dec. 16 press conference.

"Let's put it this way," said Sandra Lynch, president of the Boston Bar Association. "The present Suffolk County Courthouse isn't user-friendly at all. Our state courts really reflect the last century. . . . Frequently, in winter it's so …