County courts in shambles

Grappling with a growing caseload, Los Angeles County's massive court system is increasingly threatened by antiquated, cramped facilities and dozens of buildings that are at risk in an earthquake, officials acknowledged this week. Troy Anderson in the Daily News.

Of the county's 50 court facilities, fully two-thirds fail to meet seismic safety standards, according to county data.

And officials at Los Angeles County Superior Court, and the District Attorney's Office and the Public Defender's Office said courthouses have become so crowded that in some cases inmates are escorted in handcuffs and leg irons through public hallways to their courtrooms.