Sen. Ronald E. Russell recently announced that the Rules Committee of the 26th Legislature appropriated $5.75 million to construct and establish a facility on St. Croix to house the Virgin Islands Supreme Court. An amendment to Bill No, 26-151 appropriated the funds from the Public Finance Authority.
In his State of the Territory address of Jan. 31, 2005, Gov. Turnbull stated, "…the Bill creating the Supreme Court was one of the most important pieces of legislation impacting the judicial system and people of the Virgin Islands." Governor Turnbull further commented, "We must now provide the necessary tools for this new court to carry out its legal mandates, I will therefore forward an appropriation bill to this body proposing a funding source to fund the operations of the Supreme Court and I urge prompt action thereon to activate the operations of the Court. I will also request the Public Finance Authority to authorize funding for the initial studies for the preparation of engineering and architectural drawings for the establishment of Court facilities and chambers for the Justices. Any argument or suggestion that we cannot afford a Supreme Court at this time is to contend that the Virgin Islands cannot afford to be a truly self-governing autonomous government. I reject any such contention. I therefore urge the support of this body and the entire community as this Territory seeks to complete this step in attaining representative self-government by establishing a fully autonomous local judiciary, "
This appropriation, of $5.75 million for the construction of the Supreme Court, is a realization of the governor's vision concerning the establishment of court facilities. Once the bill is adopted by the 26th legislature, Senator Russell urges Governor Turnbull to sign the bill appropriating the money for the construction of the Supreme Court and direct PFA Director Kenneth Mapp to make the funds available to the Superior Court for the establishment of Court facilities and chambers for the Justices.