Just where is the Joseph A. Carroll Building? The Denton County government, which owns the building and houses several of its courts and offices there, says it’s at 401 W. Hickory St., but Justice of the Peace Judge Joe Holland says it isn’t, and for all practical purposes, he’s right.

The back side of the Carroll Building is the side that faces Hickory Street. There’s a door there, but there is a sign on it proclaiming it a “Restricted Area,” and for all we know, it’s locked during business hours. (It was certainly locked Sunday afternoon — we tried it — though we admit that doesn’t mean anything on a weekend.)

There is a curb cut on Hickory just east of the building, but it leads to a tiny parking lot reserved for “authorized” vehicles.

The real “front” of the Carroll Building faces south, onto Mulberry Street, the street that runs parallel to and one block south of Hickory. That side features what is obviously the public entrance, and that’s where the building’s name is, in large lettering on an expansive facade. There is a roomy parking lot between the building front and Mulberry Street. It is clear to any seeing person that the building is on Mulberry.

People who do business regularly in the Carroll Building may be used to the anomaly by now, but Judge Holland notes correctly that people with a case in his court are rarely “regulars,” and confusion over the address could cause them to be late for — or even miss — their appointments in court.

He has asked the Commissioners Court to have the official address changed, but the sentiment seems to be running in favor of simply putting a big old sign on the Hickory Street side of the building informing motorists how to get to the “real” front of the building.

It had better be a pretty big sign, and it had better be very carefully and concisely written. It is going to have to say something like, “To Enter This Building, Take the Next Right Turn, Then the Next Right Turn, Then Turn Right Into the Parking Lot.”

If you’re a motorist who’s trying to drive safely as you contemplate being hauled into Justice of the Peace Court, that’s a lot of information to digest.

Or maybe the commissioners favor a short, blunt message on the order of, “Do Not Enter.”

In that case, we envision a lot of people just continuing east on Hickory until they wind up in the Denton County Jail complex, amid the stark buildings that are surrounded by cyclone fences topped with razor wire.

Any JP court defendant could be forgiven for thinking, “Wow; that was quick!”

The commissioners, of course, are just trying to save money, and bless them for that. It definitely would cost some money to change all the stationery, business cards and Lord knows what else that now list the Carroll Building’s address as 401 Hickory St. The commissioners are always looking for ways to eliminate waste, and we can’t fault them for that.

But that Hickory Street address is a mistake that may be causing a lot of grief for people who already have grief enough by virtue of being in JP court in the first place.

Spending money to correct a mistake is an expense, but it is not a waste.

It is doing the right thing.