Court security cuts vex some

BOSTON -- On many days, the metal detectors sit silent at the busiest courthouse in Maine. People arriving for everything from child custody hearings to murder trials walk through the machines without a beep. The detectors are off because the court can't pay for officers to run them.

With the recession prompting steep cuts to state and local budgets, courts around the nation are facing the tough decision of whether to reduce court services or cut back on security.

Safety concerns have only increased after last week's fatal shooting at Las Vegas' federal courthouse and the release of a report that found threats to federal judges and prosecutors have doubled in recent years.

When cuts are made to security staff, it compromises the safety of the courthouse, said Timm Fautsko, a security expert for the National Center for State Courts. "People feel that court security is one area that should receive special consideration for funding since it involves protecting the general public who comes to courthouses for services," he said.

But some courts have reduced security staff, and others might consider it if budget problems don't get better soon. A few aren't filling long-held vacancies.

The security decision is particularly challenging for larger courts in urban areas that may feel more of an economic squeeze, Fautsko said. Also, some court administrators may be reluctant to discuss cutbacks for fear their courthouses would become vulnerable, he said.

In Birmingham, Ala., Judge Suzanne Childers keeps a gun under her bench after county officials let her two deputies go because of a budget shortfall.

"I feel like I need some kind of protection, both for me, my staff and the general public," said Childers, who often has angry people battling over divorce or child custody issues in her courtroom. "I don't want to be in a situation where I'm on the bench and I'm a sitting duck."

To help save money, many courthouses have closed one day a month, furloughed employees and delayed jury trials.

In Massachusetts, vacant court officer jobs haven't been filled in 15 months. The reductions have delayed hearings because officers are shuffled around to different courtrooms.

The cutbacks in state courts come as threats to federal judges and prosecutors have jumped. The government report issued last week found that such threats more than doubled in six years, growing from 592 in 2003 to 1,278 in 2008.

The day the report was released, a man who lost a lawsuit over his Social Security benefits opened fire in Las Vegas' federal courthouse, killing a security guard and wounding a U.S. marshal.

Johnny Lee Wicks opened fire as he entered the Lloyd George U.S. Courthouse before passing through the metal detectors, killing 72-year-old court security officer Stan Cooper.

A gunfight ensued outside the building, and Wicks, 66, was killed. Deputy U.S. Marshal Richard "Joe" Gardner, 48, was shot in the arm.

After the shooting, authorities announced a nationwide review of federal courthouse security.

Court officials in Maine won't say how often their metal detectors are unattended, but local defense attorney Robert Ruffner said many days no one is at the door to check for weapons.

"Until something tragic happens, they are not willing to make the hard choices to give the judicial branch the money it needs," Ruffner said.

For Childers, the loss of deputies in her Alabama courtroom is inconceivable. She began bringing her gun to work after the county commission suggested she have her two female assistants make sure her courtroom is secure by checking that no one unauthorized to be there is inside.

"My comment was, 'OK, what do they do if they find someone in there?'" she said. "Throw paper clips at them?"

The Las Vegas Review-Journal contributed to this report.