Court Security

A slew of federal and state courts suspend trials or close for coronavirus threat

The number of federal and state courts taking steps to thwart transmission of the novel coronavirus continues to grow. More than 25 federal district courts are pausing jury trials, following a trend that is still gaining ground in state courts.

Mar 18, 2020 9:45 AM CDT

ABA asks courthouses to reconsider cellphone bans

Dina Afek often tells clients they’re not allowed to bring their cellphones into courthouses in New Mexico. “As attorneys, we can bring in phones, so it’s creating a weird class issue,” says Afek, the volunteer attorney program director for New Mexico Legal Aid. “It is disproportionately affecting poor people and self-represented litigants.”

Nov 1, 2019 1:00 AM CDT

‘Parks and Recreation’ reminds us how important court reporters are to the legal system

Court stenographers, or “court reporters” as they are commonly referred to, are often left overshadowed and underappreciated. But proper and reliable conclusions to controversies would not be possible without their invaluable work, says lawyer Adam Banner.

Oct 16, 2019 6:30 AM CDT

Courts in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas announce closings for Hurricane Dorian

Several courts in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina already have announced closings as Hurricane Dorian approached off the coast. You can find state court closings here in Florida, here in Georgia and here in North Carolina. The South Carolina Supreme Court advises checking the State Emergency Management Division website or…

Sep 3, 2019 10:31 AM CDT

What do you do with your cellphone while you’re in court?

At the recent 2019 ABA Annual Meeting, the House of Delegates approved a resolution that encouraged courts and bar associations to review their policies on cellphone use and admittance in courthouses. The primary reasons that cellphones have been banned from courthouses are because of the possibility that they may disrupt…

Aug 15, 2019 12:42 PM CDT

Cellphone use in courthouses is an ‘access-to-justice issue,’ ABA House says

The ABA House of Delegates on Tuesday approved a resolution encouraging courts and bar associations to review their policies on the use and admittance of cellphones in courthouses.

Aug 13, 2019 2:31 PM CDT

Limit guns in courthouses and train those who use them, ABA House of Delegates urges

Only court personnel who need guns for security reasons should be permitted to carry them in the courts, the ABA House of Delegates said Monday.

Aug 12, 2019 5:53 PM CDT

Stun belts are intended to keep control in courtroom, but some judges use them to inflict punishment

James Calvert had been a difficult defendant. On trial in 2015 on charges of murdering his wife and kidnapping his son, Calvert had chosen to represent himself, but was having trouble following the judge’s instructions to stand up when addressing the Smith County court in East Texas.

Jul 30, 2019 9:27 AM CDT

Knife-wielding man is shot outside LA courthouse amid infringement case against Katy Perry

A courthouse security officer shot and wounded a man wielding a knife outside the federal courthouse in Los Angeles on Tuesday as testimony continued in a trial that contends that Katy Perry’s 2013 song “Dark Horse” improperly borrowed from a 2008 Christian hip-hop song. The man was shot in the…

Jul 24, 2019 11:22 AM CDT

Lawyer is charged after shooting injured raccoon near courthouse

A Pennsylvania lawyer has been charged with reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct for shooting an injured raccoon near the Luzerne County Courthouse last month.

Jun 27, 2019 11:26 AM CDT

Judge accused of trying to cover up chronic tardiness and absenteeism

An Atlanta judge who was chronically late and persistently absent compounded her problems when she tried to cover it up, according to allegations in an ethics complaint filed last Wednesday. According to the Judicial Qualifications Commission, Municipal Judge Terrinee Gundy tried to conceal her tardiness and absences by causing the…

Jun 24, 2019 6:30 AM CDT

Officers kill gunman firing on Dallas federal courthouse; news photographer snaps photos

Federal officers shot and killed a gunman firing on the federal courthouse in Dallas on Monday morning. A photographer for the Dallas Morning News, Tom Fox, snapped photos of the gunman after he briefly stopped firing to pick something off the street, the Morning News reports. The Dallas Police Department…

Jun 17, 2019 1:44 PM CDT

Hedge fund founder jailed after judge says he lunged at federal prosecutor during trial break

Updated: A hedge fund founder on trial for allegedly faking investment gains was sent to jail Monday after prosecutors accused him of trying to intimidate an assistant U.S. attorney during a trial break. U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan revoked bail for Mark Nordlicht, founder of the collapsed hedge fund Platinum…

May 7, 2019 11:50 AM CDT

A new bill in this state would allow attorneys to skip courthouse security

A proposed bill in Texas would provide a new security card to attorneys, so they can skip security lines in courthouses in any of the state’s 254 counties. Texas HB 1359, introduced by Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, was passed Thursday by the House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee, the Texas…

Apr 23, 2019 7:15 AM CDT

Brewer makes limited-edition beer dedicated to this Supreme Court justice

Brewer Samuel Adams has released a limited-edition beer dedicated to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The beer was to be released Friday at the brewer’s Boston taproom, report USA Today, CNBC, Boston.com and Food & Wine. The beer is called “When There Are Nine.” It is a reference…

Apr 2, 2019 7:30 AM CDT