One hundred feet can make a big difference. That´s about how far the Mariposa County Courthouse stands from the county´s new government building in the town of Mariposa. The Board of Supervisors has held its official meetings in the new building for the last three years.

Problem is, supervisors may be violating the law.

A nearly 100-year-old county code requires supervisors to carry out all public business in the courthouse. A concerned resident brought the news to the meeting several weeks ago. Now, every ordinance passed and every decision made since the move could be challenged. The state Attorney General has been asked for an opinion and the sheriff´s office is investigating claims of criminal wrongdoing.