Even before a Dec. 15 shooting critically injured a prosecutor and three others at the Cook County Courthouse in Grand Marais, Koochiching County officials were taking steps to make the local courtroom safer.
This week, it was reported that a judge in the Twin Cities is refusing to hear cases at suburban courtrooms in Hennepin County that he believes are unsafe because of a lack of weapons screening. In an email to his fellow judges, the judge says he doesn’t want to go into a suburban courtroom and not know whether he “will be carried out in a body bag that day.”
Koochiching County District Judge Charles LeDuc says that the county board and sheriff responded to the court’s security needs before the shooting.
An incident several months ago at the courthouse prompted LeDuc to request that an armed bailiff be present during court. The county board and sheriff agreed.
“I am really happy and the next step is to get (the bailiffs) trained and trained well to know how to recognize the potential dangers that the untrained eye might not see,” LeDuc said.
Sheriff Brian Youso said in most cases an armed deputy inside the courtroom is adequate, however he said if the judge or other court officials have concerns about a particular case, “we beef up security.” That can mean using a metal detector wand, sealing off the courtroom and using full-door scanners and adding staff to the courtroom. In addition, he said dispatchers have the ability to watch court proceedings from a camera inside the courtroom and respond to any incidents.
Undersheriff Brian Jespersen has been trained in courtroom security and has provided that information to the recently hired four part-time courtroom bailiffs, said Youso.
Youso said, however, that there are no guarantees when it comes to making a courtroom, which often draws angry and frustrated people, totally secure.
“No matter how much security we take, this is the world we live in,” he said of the Grand Marais shooting. “Thank God in Koochiching County that has not happened.”
LeDuc said he’s never requested metal detectors and said other places, like the courthouse boardroom which sometimes draws people who are angry about county policies or tax increases, can also invite security issues.
LeDuc said adding security to the entire courthouse could have a chilling effect on public participation in the government processes, and he said he understands the budget constraints of the county.
County Board Chairman Brian McBride said that commissioners have discussed, but made no decision about adding metal detectors at the courtroom door, but said someone would still be needed to screen people and the items they bring with them into the courtroom.
The detectors would add considerable costs to the county, he said.
McBride said the board is open to discussing security issues with the judge.
