Courthouse Named For Fallen Judge Completed

July 15, 2013

Construction has been completed on a new federal courthouse in downtown Yuma. The building is named after the judge who was killed in the Tucson shooting rampage. A grand opening ceremony for the John M. Roll United States Courthouse is being planned for the fall.

Roll was among the six people killed in the mass shooting in January 2011. Then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 12 others were wounded in the attack. Roll served as chief federal judge in Arizona.

As the Yuma Sun reports, Roll had signed off on the design of the new courthouse days before his death. He had considered the project his top priority for several years. The $25 million building includes two courtrooms, judges' chambers, detention cells and other court-related offices.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.