Scoundrel
03-09-2012, 10:16 PM
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9.41.300
(1) It is unlawful for any person to enter the following places when he or she knowingly possesses or knowingly has under his or her control a weapon:
(b) Those areas in any building which are used in connection with court proceedings, including courtrooms, jury rooms, judge's chambers, offices and areas used to conduct court business, waiting areas, and corridors adjacent to areas used in connection with court proceedings. The restricted areas do not include common areas of ingress and egress to the building that is used in connection with court proceedings, when it is possible to protect court areas without restricting ingress and egress to the building. The restricted areas shall be the minimum necessary to fulfill the objective of this subsection (1)(b).
I wonder, just out of curiosity, how many courthouses have the metal detectors set up at the doorway, and how many actually have areas of the building that can legally be accessed while in possession of a firearm.
I remember entering a building in Olympia that contained courtrooms, but did not have any security set up at all, and I thought it was odd.
In Everett, the main courthouse has a checkpoint just inside the main door. You have about 6 feet between the door and the checkpoint.
Across the street in the municipal court, you can get in and have a conversation with someone behind the bulletproof glass before going about 15 feet down the hallway and encountering the checkpoint. But without setting up a checkpoint outside the door, it wouldn't really be possible to do otherwise.
I entered a courthouse in Wallace, ID that had no security checkpoints at all, that I could see. But then, I only went down one staircase to the DMV section to get a license plate for my ATV. maybe they had a checkpoint upstairs in the main building. Also, this was Idaho.
I wonder how many buildings observe the "minimum", vs. how many set it up as close to the ingress point as possible. Of course, you'd pretty much have to be insane or stupid to enter any part of a courthouse building while in possession of a firearm, in my opinion.
(1) It is unlawful for any person to enter the following places when he or she knowingly possesses or knowingly has under his or her control a weapon:
(b) Those areas in any building which are used in connection with court proceedings, including courtrooms, jury rooms, judge's chambers, offices and areas used to conduct court business, waiting areas, and corridors adjacent to areas used in connection with court proceedings. The restricted areas do not include common areas of ingress and egress to the building that is used in connection with court proceedings, when it is possible to protect court areas without restricting ingress and egress to the building. The restricted areas shall be the minimum necessary to fulfill the objective of this subsection (1)(b).
I wonder, just out of curiosity, how many courthouses have the metal detectors set up at the doorway, and how many actually have areas of the building that can legally be accessed while in possession of a firearm.
I remember entering a building in Olympia that contained courtrooms, but did not have any security set up at all, and I thought it was odd.
In Everett, the main courthouse has a checkpoint just inside the main door. You have about 6 feet between the door and the checkpoint.
Across the street in the municipal court, you can get in and have a conversation with someone behind the bulletproof glass before going about 15 feet down the hallway and encountering the checkpoint. But without setting up a checkpoint outside the door, it wouldn't really be possible to do otherwise.
I entered a courthouse in Wallace, ID that had no security checkpoints at all, that I could see. But then, I only went down one staircase to the DMV section to get a license plate for my ATV. maybe they had a checkpoint upstairs in the main building. Also, this was Idaho.
I wonder how many buildings observe the "minimum", vs. how many set it up as close to the ingress point as possible. Of course, you'd pretty much have to be insane or stupid to enter any part of a courthouse building while in possession of a firearm, in my opinion.