Knife Carry in Courthouses or Govt Buildings

[gh1950]

i wouldnt even attempt it

those people at the courts are usually humorless dicks

Many courthouses and sheriff's offices, running the metal detector is a disciplinary assignment. You done screwed up and pissed someone off.

 

[Moe_Fugga]

I have sat through hundreds of trials and hearings and have never seen a "brawl" in a courtroom. Maybe a half dozen "irate families" get a little mouthy, and they are instantly dealt with. I have never seen court disrupted more than a couple of minutes by such behavior. It doesn't make the 5 O'clock news, but the courthouse grapevine works pretty good as to when additional security is required. I have been asked by judges in advance of hearing if I thought additional security would be required.


The two or three (or 4 or 5) armed deputies serving as courtroom baliffs seem to be a pretty good deterrent.



And that's why the appropriate authorities take the appropriate precautions. Not all parties in all matters before a court receive the same treatment and scrutiny from the responsible people.





Dennis Marx was not in the courthouse. He never got into the courthouse. Even so, with "10 or more armed officers in a single building" he was able to wound a deputy sheriff, and if he had been a better shot, probably would have killed the deputy. As apparently with "10 or more officers in a single building" at least one deputy had something to worry about, and any passerby would have likewise been the object of this nut job.

The only judge in Georgia to get shot in a courthouse in Georgia in recent history was Fulton County Superior Court Judge Rowland W. Barnes, who was shot and killed by a Brian Nicols, WHO WAS IN THE CUSTODY OF THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, and who killed 3 people in the courthouse with THE DEPUTY"S SERVICE WEAPON. Courthouse security played absolutely no role in these killings, EXCEPT that it guaranteed that there was no ARMED PERSON between the courtroom where the murders occurred and the front door of the courthouse so that Nicols was able to escape and continue to kill.

For over two hundred years, lawyers and judges, and other interested parties routinely carried firearms into courtrooms. In fact, it was discussed over drinks (you know, when the lawyers are selling out their clients) that in certain rural counties, the likelihood of the depraved person you described attacking the judge were virtually nil because of all the people in the courtroom who would gladly shoot him.

Even after metal detectors were introduced to courthouses, many counties gave a pass to attorneys carrying guns to courts.

So not being allowed to carry a pocketknife or fingernail clippers is as ridiculous at courthouses as it is for TSA.

Feel free to do a search of all the recorded instances of a judicial officer getting shot in a courthouse from 1776 until say 1990.

You essentially proved a good point with that whole argument. The deputies do a good job at taking and keeping control of the courthouse. So why do we need anyone else with a firearm or weapon in the building? All that is good for is an opportunity for some crazy bastard to bring his own or jack someone else’s and use it. And the fact that we don’t hear about incidents very often proves your point as well.

There are 159 counties in GA. Not counting the multiple courtrooms in each courthouse or the additional courthouses (such as probate, magistrate, juvenile, etc) that may be separate from the “main” superior/state courthouses in each county, there are basically.....*counting*...*estimating*.....a ****-LOAD of courtrooms holding session in GA every day. The fact that you’ve witnessed what is equivalent to one day’s worth of courtroom hearings in GA PER DAY is not impressive at all. There is a lot more that happens while you aren’t there and can’t report on.

There is no need to add armed civilians to the courthouse roster. Law Enforcement obviously has it covered.

 

[gh1950]

You essentially proved a good point with that whole argument. The deputies do a good job at taking and keeping control of the courthouse.

Do you even bother to read my response? The three people killed in a courthouse in in Georgia were killed with a deputies gun. Write a note of condolence to Judge Barnes family and tell them what a good job the Fulton County Sheriff did securing the courthouse.

Then Brian Nicols escaped to kill again, because no one in the courthouse had gun to stop. People were literally chasing him down the street, but without guns.

The fact that you’ve witnessed what is equivalent to one day’s worth of courtroom hearings in GA PER DAY is not impressive at all. There is a lot more that happens while you aren’t there and can’t report on.

Share with us how many hearings you have witnessed, or are you sharing you vast experience you have gained from the interwebs. There are courthouses in Georgia I was in every day for years, in all courts, and not much went on the courthouse about which I was not aware.

But I'm open minded, so feel free to share your experience. The actual hearings I have observed are probably in the thousands, but I don't like to brag. Sitting through a day of probation revocations or traffic court is kinda like shooting over a baited field.

There is no need to add armed civilians to the courthouse roster. Law Enforcement obviously has it covered.

Again, I encourage you to share that sentiment with Judge Barnes family.

Or are you going to conveniently continue to ignore the one REAL example we have.

 

[Moe_Fugga]

Do you even bother to read my response? The three people killed in a courthouse in in Georgia were killed with a deputies gun. Write a note of condolence to Judge Barnes family and tell them what a good job the Fulton County Sheriff did securing the courthouse.

Then Brian Nicols escaped to kill again, because no one in the courthouse had gun to stop. People were literally chasing him down the street, but without guns.



Share with us how many hearings you have witnessed, or are you sharing you vast experience you have gained from the interwebs. There are courthouses in Georgia I was in every day for years, in all courts, and not much went on the courthouse about which I was not aware.

But I'm open minded, so feel free to share your experience. The actual hearings I have observed are probably in the thousands, but I don't like to brag. Sitting through a day of probation revocations or traffic court is kinda like shooting over a baited field.



Again, I encourage you to share that sentiment with Judge Barnes family.

Or are you going to conveniently continue to ignore the one REAL example we have.

Killings happen everyday. Wether it be a judge or a trained LEO my prayers go out to all their families because I’m connected to them more than you’ll know. The fact that it doesn’t happen in courthouses more often is the point that I am personally arguing. Why add to the opportunity list than there already is? Nichols took a handgun from a trained officer. The odds of Jim Bob retaining his weapon in a violent struggle are even less favorable.

 

[gh1950]

Killings happen everyday. Wether it be a judge or a trained LEO my prayers go out to all their families because I’m connected to them more than you’ll know. The fact that it doesn’t happen in courthouses more often is the point that I am personally arguing. Why add to the opportunity list than there already is? Nichols took a handgun from a trained officer. The odds of Jim Bob retaining his weapon in a violent struggle are even less favorable.

So what you are saying is that you have no experience to base you opinion upon, and therefore your opinion is a fanciful conjecture about some perfect world you hope will come about, by and by.

"Killings happen every day" is your best premise - geez.

The odds of Jim Bob retaining his weapon in a violent struggle are even less favorable.

Again, feel free to share any empirical evidence you have to support this conclusion. Hell, at this point, I would enjoy just some anecdotal evidence.

Most of the Jim Bob's I know who go about armed are not about to get in a "violent struggle" with a convicted felon.

 

[Moe_Fugga]

So what you are saying is that you have no experience to base you opinion upon, and therefore your opinion is a fanciful conjecture about some perfect world you hope will come about, by and by.

"Killings happen every day" is your best premise - geez.



Again, feel free to share any empirical evidence you have to support this conclusion. Hell, at this point, I would enjoy just some anecdotal evidence.

Most of the Jim Bob's I know who go about armed are not about to get in a "violent struggle" with a convicted felon.

Everything you say is anecdotal. Especially the bit where you claim court security is a punishment for **** ups. You hold your profession up to the standard they’ve always been known for.

I hope your courtroom ventures are trouble free. Thank an officer the next time you walk out of the courtroom unharmed. I’ll sense it and smile.