The office of District Judge Sue Haggerty will move out of the Saxonburg borough building on Main Street.

The Butler County commissioners on Wednesday terminated the lease with the borough and approved negotiating a new lease with Dinnerbell Associates for the space at 333 W. Main St., ?Saxonburg.

Tom Holman, deputy court administrator, said the move is necessary because of state Supreme Court guidelines stipulating that district courts should not be in the same buildings as police departments.

Haggerty’s office is across a hallway from Saxonburg police on the bottom level of the building.

Holman said county President Judge Thomas Doerr decided the relocation would eliminate even the appearance of impropriety.

“This is in the best interest of the court,” Holman said.

The commissioners ended the lease with the borough in a 2 to 1 vote. County Commissioner Jim Eckstein dissented, saying the move wasn’t needed.

He insisted the word guideline doesn’t mean separate buildings are mandated.

“I think we’re rushing to judgment here when there are no hard, fast rules,” Eckstein said.

Doerr said in an interview later that not following a state guideline doesn’t guarantee a loss in state funding.

However, he said the court shouldn’t ignore such protocols.

“We attempt to comply with all guidelines,” Doerr said.