Power failure in Pomona forces court sessions into parking lot

POMONA -- A broken circuit and failed air conditioning at the south Pomona courthouse forced judges this morning to hear cases outdoors in an adjoining parking lot.

Courthouse staff members expected the broken circuit, which also affected plumbing, to be repaired in time for the court to hear its afternoon calendar indoors, said Los Angeles County Superior Court spokeswoman Kathy Roberts.

"This event is not common ... but we're used to handling it," Roberts said. "And the (courthouse) administrator indicates that things are under control."

Criminal cases with defendants in custody were not heard outdoors -- those cases were heard in an empty courtroom at the north Pomona courthouse, Roberts said.