During the acquisition phase, a local advisory group made up of county judges, court officers and others affected by the court facility does most of the heavy lifting. Its role at this stage is to identify potential sites and evaluate them against a specific set of criteria. The site selection checklist includes 52 evaluations in 16 different categories. These range from required acreage and location preferences (i.e. near pre-trial holding facilities, district attorneys, public defenders, social services and public transit) to sustainability, neighborhood character, visibility, environmental concerns and budget.