I went to the courthouse yesterday... I know, shocker.
I was in street clothes, and of course I was armed.
I went to the front door and showed my ID card, and the person working the door waved me through. Before I went through, I asked where the clerk's office was, because I am not terribly familiar with that courthouse. It's not the one where I usually do business.
The "Ranger" asked me if I was on department business or personal business. I told him I was on personal business because I was filing some civil papers.
The Ranger said he'd have to screen me. That means I put all my stuff through the x-ray machine and go through the metal detector. I'd have to leave my gun outside the court.
WTF?
What difference does it make whether I'm there on personal business or department business? I'm a cop for Christ's sake! If I had said I was on department business, I'd have walked right through. But not for personal business. I guess if I have to file papers, I'm not a cop anymore?
I go to the courts in civilian clothing, on department business, on a regular basis. Never a problem. But I can't enter as a police officer for my own court business?
What a load of bullshit.
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7 comments:
Wow, that's asinine. What CJ major came up with that policy?
Welcome to our world.
Where we walk past the plaque with the Bill of Rights on it and are immediately subjected to an unwarranted search and forced to surrender our arms.
The double standard is asinine, but only in the sense that officials and citizens alike should be able to pass freely.
Joe
So what did you do? Leave Roscoe in the car?
The courts around here ask the same question. Sometimes they ask even when you show up in uniform!
Been there. I CAN carry into federal buildings and on aircraft. I've carried into the US Capitol and the White House, but the security guard at my own local hick courthouse denies me entry when I go in to get a new dog license for Lagniappe (because the dummy shucked his off in the yard somewhere and I can't find it) and he can't understand why I'm offended at having to put my duty weapon outside in my car because they don't even offer the courtesy of a lock-box. If I was on-duty and needed in that building I'm sure that they wouldn't be busting my chops about my carrying that exact same sidearm, but just to get a dog license? Can't do it...
I'll add that while I have no problem with cops carrying into a courthouse, I for damned sure do not want parties to a divorce or families of a criminal defendant or victim packing a gun into the court chambers. How many times a week do we hear about fist fights breaking out between these folks in court? Those aren't the folks that I want to see carrying guns then and there. No thanks.
I think "Me" nailed it--I don't want the parties in a civil suit (especially a divorce or custody case) armed in court, period, no matter what their training or qualifications. While excluding everyone there on personal business is casting too broad a net it's much simpler than trying to sort out exactly what everyone's up to and create standards for who can carry and who can't.
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