Dedication: Lady Justice soars in lobby of new Shasta County Courthouse in Redding

With Lady Justice and a giant American flag as a backdrop, Shasta County court officials gathered Friday afternoon to dedicate the lobby in the new $175 million courthouse.

“We’re here to honor two very important families. We have Sen. Maurice Johannessen and wife, Marianne. We have Judge Steven Jahr and his wife, Karen Jahr,” Shasta County Superior Court Judge Adam Ryan told the gathering.

The Johannessen and Jahr families made the display in the new lobby a reality.

Contributions from the Johannessens helped restore the 8-foot-tall Lady Justice statue and the U.S. Flag that hangs behind the statue.

Judge Jahr and his wife, who served as Shasta County Counsel for many years, provided funding for the giant picture of the 1889 Shasta County courthouse that hangs in the new lobby, as well as covered the cost of other pictures in the courthouse.

Lady Justice once stood atop the 1889 courthouse.

The statue was repaired and restored by local artist John Martin Streeby, who patched and filled the many cracks before it was brought to the lobby.

It was the first time former state Sen. Maurice Johannessen had seen the lobby.

“I had not seen anything in here. I insisted in waiting. I wanted to feel what the public would feel when they walk in, and god that’s beautiful,” he said. “This is the first time I saw it. It’s gorgeous.”

All 13 Shasta County bench officers, including the 11 superior court judges, gathered for Friday’s dedication. Also in attendance were representatives from Sundt Construction, the courthouse contractor and Kitchell Construction, the construction manager.

Court Executive Officer Melissa Fowler-Bradley said Rolan Dillion of the Flag Center in Redding provided the giant American flag.

The move into the new six-story courthouse will start Jan. 25 and it’s expected to take nearly a month.

A public dedication of the new courthouse is scheduled for this spring. A date has not been set.

David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on X, formerly Twitter, @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338=8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Lady Justice soars in lobby of new Shasta County Courthouse