Officials for the City of Daphne cut the ribbon to their new municipal courtroom at the Daphne Justice Center Annex on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

The new courtroom spans more than 4,100 square feet, making it around two and a half times the size of the previous courtroom. A hallway behind the courtroom connects it to the jail and two new holding cells. Other upgrades include new offices for magistrates and the judge, sound-dampened walls and technology upgrades designed to make the court process swifter and more efficient.

Daphne Mayor Robin LeJeune, citing the significant growth in the area, called it a much-needed investment for the City of Daphne.

"A big investment for this area, but's it's been needed," LeJeune said. "It's one of those things. The animal shelter, that's an investment that we put in for our animal control and animal services so you can see that the investments that we're making are not just an Amphitheatre or a park and Lott Park with our pickleball facilities and all those things."

The courtroom serves as the final phase of the city's Justice Center project, which previously saw upgraded facilities for both the police department and jail, totaling to a little over $9 million in renovations.

The new courtroom was set to be put to use immediately, with officials saying during Tuesday's event that cases would be heard there that night. Municipal Court Judge Warren Harbison called the new facility a tremendous asset for Daphne residents.

"We have had a long, tremendous process," Harbison said. "A year and a half now we've had been vagabonds. We've had court at city hall, the civic center, here, there, everywhere, so we're glad to be back home on campus and getting court done. It's more efficient for the police department. It's more efficient for corrections. It's more efficient for my staff."