A little over a month since the new Eugene H. Gadsden Courthouse opened on Oglethorpe Avenue, and Chatham County Superior Court Chief Judge John E. Morse Jr. says he and his staff have been adjusting to the shiny new facilities well.

“I think overall, the staff is pleased with the building, more space,” Morse said, noting that the grandiose building lends gravitas to the legal atmosphere.

Most of his time there has been spent in his chambers, the courtroom, and perhaps unexpectedly, the stairs. Morse, an avid stair-taker, says the stairs of the new Gadsden building hold a few advantages over the Coleman Courthouse.

The courtrooms are designed differently. So we're getting used to that aspect of it. They're larger. so, when it comes to, sound volume, things of that particular nature,

In the Coleman building, the stairs are enclosed. Here, they’re out in the atrium,” Morse said. “So as I'm walking up and down the stairs, I get to see pretty much the whole building. I get to see people; I get to see lawyers and everything. So that’s a good feature for me.”

Morse holds a special attachment to the Gadsden Courthouse. The building is named for Judge Eugene H. Gadsden, Chatham County’s first African American Superior Court Judge in Chatham County.

Judge Gadsden was a mentor, colleague, and cousin of Judge Morse, and within his office, he pays homage to the new courthouse’s namesake. Gadsden’s brief books sit atop the bookshelf behind his desk, along with photos of Morse being sworn in by Gadsden.

“I think he was epitome of what a jurist ought to be. Always patient, always polite. always engaged in, the proceeding that was going on. Very, very astute with respect to his pen. He would give you the time that was necessary, always listening, patient,” Morse said. “I think that, the building's name, is very, very apropos.”