COLUMBUS, Ga. - A jury was seated Monday, Nov. 2, for the first murder trial at the new John D. Allen Judicial Center, three days after the $207.5 million courthouse held its ribbon-cutting. Christopher Tice is charged with murder and is accused of beating 45-year-old Craig Perry to death with a baseball bat, according to WTVM. Judge Carolyn "Tippi" Cain Burch is presiding, and opening statements were set to begin Tuesday morning.

Tice is accused, not convicted, and the charge is an allegation that a jury will decide. WTVM's report did not say how long the trial is expected to last. The Columbus Times has not confirmed what was said in opening statements or how the trial has proceeded since Monday.

Vandals broke 2 windows the night after the ribbon-cutting

On Saturday night, Oct. 31, someone broke two windows at the new courthouse, according to Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman. WTVM reported that the damage happened between about 8:15 and 8:25 p.m., and Countryman said it appears only one person was involved. The sheriff's office is investigating, and no arrests have been reported.

Now Georgia reported that surveillance video shows a single hooded person throwing an object at the windows. WTVM reported that the suspect is described as a thin man, about 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall. The Muscogee County Sheriff's Office handles security for government buildings in Columbus and is leading the investigation, according to Now Georgia.

Superior Court Judge Bobby Peters, who worked to see the building named for Judge Allen, said the suspect "will be caught," according to Now Georgia. Now Georgia also reported that vandalizing a government building is a felony in Georgia punishable by 1 to 5 years in prison. The reports did not say how much the damage cost or how long repairs will take.

The building by the numbers

The John D. Allen Judicial Center at 100 10th Street is the most expensive project in city history, according to Now Georgia. The $207.5 million cost was funded mostly by a sales tax voters approved in 2021, along with $7 million from the city's general fund, according to the city's project reporting. The courthouse opened for business Nov. 2, according to Now Georgia.

The size and floor details come from project information reported by CNAW News in July, before the building opened. WTVM described the building as nearly 350,000 square feet. The difference may reflect how space is measured, and the city has not published a single figure in the reports reviewed.

What is on each floor

According to the project description reported by CNAW, the first floor holds the main entry, jury assembly and the Office of Dispute Resolution. The second floor has the Clerk of Superior and State Court and Probate Court. State Court has two courtrooms on the third floor, along with the Solicitor General's Office and the law library.

Superior Court has four courtrooms on the fifth floor and three on the sixth. Juvenile Court has two courtrooms on the seventh floor, and the District Attorney's Office is on the eighth. The project description says visitors, judges, staff and people in custody use separate circulation paths and meet only inside courtrooms when necessary.

Why Columbus moved

The new center replaces the Columbus Government Center, which city officials say is more than 50 years old and lacked modern technology, according to WTVM. At the ribbon-cutting, officials described flooding, tight spaces and faulty elevators in the old building. Mayor Skip Henderson pointed to a 2018 flood caused by a major water main failure, and Sheriff Countryman recalled getting stuck in an elevator there.

District Attorney Don Kelly said the new building will make his office safer and more efficient, according to WTVM. Probate Court Judge Marc D'Antonio said the larger space will let his court hold more than one hearing at a time. The center is named for Judge John Allen, who died in February 2025 and was the first African American chief judge of the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit, according to the reporting reviewed.

What happens to the old building

City officials expect the old and new buildings to run at the same time for two to three months while offices relocate in phases, according to the city's project updates reported by CNAW. WTVM reported that officials plan to implode the old Government Center late next year. CNAW reported earlier that the demolition method had not been decided, so the plan could still change.

What we do not know yet

No arrest has been reported in the window vandalism, and the cost of the damage has not been released. WTVM's report did not say how long the Tice trial will last. People with information about the broken windows can contact the Muscogee County Sheriff's Office.