Johnson County courthouse closed after structural damage found

The Johnson County Courthouse in Vienna was forced to close this week after structural damage was discovered in the 152-year-old building.

According to the Johnson County clerk’s office, the courthouse's doors are locked and caution tape is in place to keep residents away from the entrances.

A meeting to discuss the future of the courthouse will be held in two weeks. It could turn out that no repairs be made, because a new Johnson County courthouse is underway just two blocks away. Work began last fall, and the new $14 million courthouse is hoped to be done by next April.

In the meantime, county offices have been temporarily moved into different buildings. The Johnson County court room is in the annex, located next to the Sheriff’s Department. Court cases will resume on Friday.