Justice renewed

Restoration of the "Lady Justice" mural in the original courtroom of the Hancock County Courthouse, 300 S. Main St., is now underway and should be completed within about two weeks. Conrad Schmitt Studios, Inc., New Berlin, Wisconsin, has been contracted to do the work at the cost of $40,000, paid out of the court's special projects fund. It's the same company hired to restore the painting in 2010, and the courtroom in 2015. "The original courtroom in the county courthouse is considered a community treasure and the gem is the mural of Lady Justice displayed behind the judge's bench," said Kimberly Switzer, director of court services. Switzer is managing the project. She said the mural is actually a depiction of the Greek goddess, Themis, which means "Lady Justice." Artist Virgilio Tojetti was commissioned to paint the mural in 1888, when the courthouse was built. Tojetti was traveling from San Francisco to New York City and needed to earn money for the next leg of his journey, Switzer said. Born in Rome, Tojetti studied in Paris and then moved to the United States at the age of 21. He would eventually become a famous artist in the eastern U.S. and lived in New York City until his death in 1901. The mural is believed to be of one only three paintings of Lady Justice depicting her without a blindfold. "She is also sitting down in lieu of standing; a cherub holds her scales of justice and the sword is laying at her feet," Switzer said.