Court Security

Charged in cop assault, man slapped security officer at courthouse en route to hearing, sheriff says

Headed to court in downtown Detroit on Friday morning along with a social worker, Deandre Wilson made it through a security screening without incident. But then, after he put his coat back on, the 29-year-old allegedly turned around before exiting the screening area and slapped a Wayne County sheriff’s deputy,…

Jan 5, 2015 11:55 AM CST

Sheriff: Murderer’s claimed contact with 2 jurors in court elevator didn’t happen exactly as he says

Corrected: A convicted double murderer in Pennsylvania is seeking a new trial in his latest case based on his claim to have had unsupervised contact, in a courthouse elevator, with two of the jurors who later convicted him. The November encounter occurred after he became separated from the court deputies…

Dec 19, 2014 4:55 PM CST

Longtime court administrator sues, says she was fired for telling DA about judge’s bugging system

When a longtime Texas court administrator was fired last summer, Galveston County Judge Mark Henry pointed to claimed attendance, communication and insubordination issues. But in a Tuesday lawsuit Bonnie Quiroga says she was actually fired for telling the district attorney about Henry’s bugging of confidential areas used by defense lawyers…

Dec 12, 2014 1:26 PM CST

Judge denies mistrial after man decks his attorney, says that would put ‘target’ on lawyers’ backs

After Lance Franklin decked his defense lawyer on Thursday, right in front of the jury during a Topeka, Kansas, rape trial, Judge Marc Braun held him in contempt and sentenced him to 180 days. But Braun denied a defense motion for a mistrial Friday in the Shawnee County district court…

Dec 12, 2014 11:05 AM CST

Jailhouse attack by handcuffed client sends public defender to hospital

A Chicago public defender was taken to a hospital Wednesday after being attacked from behind by a handcuffed client at the Cook County jail and rendered unconscious. Officials said attorney Richard Kruss, 49, was cut on the back of his neck or head but did not appear to have suffered…

Dec 11, 2014 9:30 AM CST

Sex toy spurs bomb scare at federal courthouse

A bomb squad called to investigate a suspicious object outside the federal courthouse in San Diego cordoned off the area and donned protective gear before taking a look at the device. The technicians determined the object was a sex toy, report U-T San Diego and City News Service, which reports…

Dec 5, 2014 7:04 AM CST

Ex-lawyer found guilty of killing DA’s wife; jury to decide next week on death penalty

Updated: It didn’t take a Texas jury long to find a former justice of the peace guilty of shooting to death the local district attorney’s wife last year. Within two hours of starting deliberations Thursday, the panel had reached a guilty verdict, although the case against 47-year-old Eric Lyle Williams…

Dec 4, 2014 12:00 PM CST

Judge struck by wrong-way driver outside courthouse says she suffered debilitating injuries

A Nevada judge who was struck near the downtown Las Vegas courthouse by a wrong-way driver last month was released from the hospital the same day. But District Judge Linda Bell still hasn’t returned to the bench and says she won’t be able to do so until her concussion symptoms…

Dec 3, 2014 3:20 PM CST

Huge power outage closes Detroit courts and many other buildings

A high-profile murder trial was abruptly put on hold Tuesday as the lights in Detroit’s Frank Murphy Hall of Justice flickered and went out. It was just one of 100 buildings affected by a massive cable failure that shut down power to all Detroit Public Lighting customers around 10:30 a.m.,…

Dec 2, 2014 3:50 PM CST

Court worker files HIPAA suit, says she was searched daily after misconstrued remark

It all began with what a worker at a Nevada courthouse describes as a misconstrued remark. Irritated at being pushed to work harder on a Monday, due to an early exit the previous Friday by another worker who was upset at being criticized by a judge, Jacquelynn Nickler said something…

Nov 25, 2014 10:10 AM CST

Spat between judge and courthouse security officer is resolved by requiring all judges to show ID

Upset about what he perceived as racial profiling, an Ohio judge angrily responded to a request that he show identification as he entered the Hamilton County Courthouse on Monday and Tuesday with heated language. Judge Theodore “Ted” Berry later apologized for the language he used but said seeming selective enforcement…

Nov 21, 2014 10:54 AM CST

State of emergency in Missouri as grand jury mulls slaying of black teen in Ferguson

As a grand jury may be nearing a decision about whether to charge a white police officer in the controversial slaying of an unarmed black teen in Ferguson, the Missouri governor on Monday declared a state of emergency. That will allow the Missouri National Guard to help keep order around…

Nov 17, 2014 4:00 PM CST

Man charged for covering church directory at courthouse with text of First Amendment

A 69-year-old Ohio man is facing a misdemeanor criminal mischief case after admittedly covering a church directory at the Athens County Courthouse with the text of the First Amendment last month. Eliot Kalman pleaded not guilty in the municipal court case, and a hearing is scheduled later this month, according…

Nov 11, 2014 5:00 PM CST

Judge struck by wrong-way driver outside Las Vegas courthouse

A Nevada judge was struck by a wrong-way driver outside the downtown Las Vegas courthouse as she was apparently on her way to work Friday morning. Judge Linda Bell was sitting on the curb and alert when responders arrived to take her to the hospital. Although her condition is not…

Nov 7, 2014 1:10 PM CST

Inmate on death row for fatal 1992 divorce-court shooting rampage dies of natural causes

Kenneth Baumruk wasn’t able to overturn his death sentence for fatally shooting his wife and firing at the judge, lawyers for both sides and others in the vicinity of a Missouri divorce court hearing more than 20 years ago. But the former aerospace technician has avoided capital punishment by dying…

Nov 4, 2014 1:35 PM CST