Tulare County Government Buildings

In the coffee bars and restaurants in this small central San Joaquin Valley town, people are talking about The Mold That Ate The Courthouse. But for the people who work in the three-story building downtown, the discovery of toxic mold above a judge's chambers is no laughing matter. More than 150 courthouse workers, among them three judges, have filed claims against Tulare County, claiming injuries caused by hazardous working conditions. More than a third of the court staff is out sick.

In the coffee bars and restaurants in this small central San Joaquin Valley town, people are talking about The Mold That Ate The Courthouse. But for the people who work in the three-story building downtown, the discovery of toxic mold above a judge's chambers is no laughing matter. More than 150 courthouse workers, among them three judges, have filed claims against Tulare County, claiming injuries caused by hazardous working conditions. More than a third of the court staff is out sick.