Storage of Weapons While In A Courthouse

[GHF]

I live in Florida, but my family remains in SW Pennsylvania - Allegheny, Westmoreland, and Washington Counties.

I have been working on one of my sisters to start carrying, and she has business that takes here into the Washington County Courthouse.

She has indicated to me that there is no place there to store any weapon - gun, knife, pepper spray - during the time she is inside the building.

I understood that every county had to provide this capability, when people had to enter a sterile area inside the xray machine area.

Am I correct?

[fingers80002]

State law requires them to provide lockers.

[mickey01023]

Originally Posted by GHF

I live in Florida, but my family remains in SW Pennsylvania - Allegheny, Westmoreland, and Washington Counties.

I have been working on one of my sisters to start carrying, and she has business that takes here into the Washington County Courthouse.

She has indicated to me that there is no place there to store any weapon - gun, knife, pepper spray - during the time she is inside the building.

I understood that every county had to provide this capability, when people had to enter a sterile area inside the xray machine area.

Am I correct?

I'm pretty sure its a law that they have to provide you secure space to store firearms....now that may be all well and good but i know at DM in my town their isn't space...i don't recall seeing any at the Scranton court house either.........tell her to ask, maybe theirs some space in the "back" for a locker or something. If shes going to be working there and doing business then they should take care of one of there own IMO.

[HiredGoon]

PA Title 18

§ 913. Possession of firearm or other dangerous weapon in court facility.

(a) Offense defined.--A person commits an offense if he:

1. knowingly possesses a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a court facility or knowingly causes a firearm or other dangerous weapon to be present in a court facility; or
2. knowingly possesses a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a court facility with the intent that the firearm or other dangerous weapon be used in the commission of a crime or knowingly causes a firearm or other dangerous weapon to be present in a court facility with the intent that the firearm or other dangerous weapon be used in the commission of a crime.

(b) Grading.--

1. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (3), an offense under subsection (a)(1) is a misdemeanor of the third degree.
2. An offense under subsection (a)(2) is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
3. An offense under subsection (a)(1) is a summary offense if the person was carrying a firearm under section 6106(b) (relating to firearms not to be carried without a license) or 6109 (relating to licenses) and failed to check the firearm under subsection (e) prior to entering the court facility.

(c) Exceptions.--Subsection (a) shall not apply to:

1. The lawful performance of official duties by an officer, agent or employee of the United States, the Commonwealth or a political subdivision who is authorized by law to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of any violation of law.
2. The lawful performance of official duties by a court official.
3. The carrying of rifles and shotguns by instructors and participants in a course of instruction provided by the Pennsylvania Game Commission under 34 Pa.C.S. § 2704 (relating to eligibility for license).
4. Associations of veteran soldiers and their auxiliaries or members of organized armed forces of the United States or the Commonwealth, including reserve components, when engaged in the performance of ceremonial duties with county approval.
5. The carrying of a dangerous weapon or firearm unloaded and in a secure wrapper by an attorney who seeks to employ the dangerous weapon or firearm as an exhibit or as a demonstration and who possesses written authorization from the court to bring the dangerous weapon or firearm into the court facility.

(d) Posting of notice.--Notice of the provisions of subsections (a) and (e) shall be posted conspicuously at each public entrance to each courthouse or other building containing a court facility and each court facility, and no person shall be convicted of an offense under subsection (a)(1) with respect to a court facility if the notice was not so posted at each public entrance to the courthouse or other building containing a court facility and at the court facility unless the person had actual notice of the provisions of subsection (a).

(e) Facilities for checking firearms or other dangerous weapons.--Each county shall make available at or within the building containing the court facility by July 1, 2002, lockers or similar facilities at no charge or cost for the temporary checking of firearms by persons carrying firearms under section 6106(b) or 6109 or for the checking of other dangerous weapons that are not otherwise prohibited by law. Any individual checking a firearm, dangerous weapon or an item deemed to be a dangerous weapon at a court facility must be issued a receipt. Notice of the location of the facility shall be posted as required under subsection (d).

(f) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection:

"Court facility."

The courtroom of a court of record; a courtroom of a community court; the courtroom of a district justice; a courtroom of the Philadelphia Municipal Court; a courtroom of the Pittsburgh Magistrates Court; a courtroom of the Traffic Court of Philadelphia; judge's chambers; witness rooms; jury deliberation rooms; attorney conference rooms; prisoner holding cells; offices of court clerks, the district attorney, the sheriff and probation and parole officers; and any adjoining corridors.

"Dangerous weapon."

A bomb, grenade, blackjack, sandbag, metal knuckles, dagger, knife (the blade of which is exposed in an automatic way by switch, push-button, spring mechanism or otherwise) or other implement for the infliction of serious bodily injury which serves no common lawful purpose.

"Firearm."

Any weapon, including a starter gun, which will or is designed to expel a projectile or projectiles by the action of an explosion, expansion of gas or escape of gas. The term does not include any device designed or used exclusively for the firing of stud cartridges, explosive rivets or similar industrial ammunition.

[headcase]

Originally Posted by GHF

I live in Florida, but my family remains in SW Pennsylvania - Allegheny, Westmoreland, and Washington Counties.

I have been working on one of my sisters to start carrying, and she has business that takes here into the Washington County Courthouse.

She has indicated to me that there is no place there to store any weapon - gun, knife, pepper spray - during the time she is inside the building.

I understood that every county had to provide this capability, when people had to enter a sterile area inside the xray machine area.

Am I correct?

If she never had to take one in there, then she probably never had occasion to be directed to the storage area. I am also fairly certain that there would be some mention of there being no facilities there, somewhere around here by now.

[normanvin]

Originally Posted by HiredGoon

(e) Facilities for checking firearms or other dangerous weapons.--Each county shall make available at or within the building containing the court facility by July 1, 2002, lockers or similar facilities at no charge or cost for the temporary checking of firearms by persons carrying firearms under section 6106(b) or 6109 or for the checking of other dangerous weapons that are not otherwise prohibited by law. Any individual checking a firearm, dangerous weapon or an item deemed to be a dangerous weapon at a court facility must be issued a receipt. Notice of the location of the facility shall be posted as required under subsection (d).

What he said..

[sdsorrentino]

Call the Washington County Sheriff at 724-228-6840. Tell him that you have business at the Courthouse, and you would like to know where the lockers are for "firearms and other dangerous weapons."

you will get one of three responses

1. Huh?
2. We prefer that you leave your firearms at home or lock them in your car
3. just tell the guard you have a weapon to check.

1 and 2 are handled the same way. tell him that Paragraph "e" of Section 913, the law that makes it illegal for you to carry a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a courthouse says,

Each county shall make available at or within the building containing the court facility by July 1, 2002, lockers or similar facilities at no charge or cost for the temporary checking of firearms by persons carrying firearms under section 6106(b) or 6109 or for the checking of other dangerous weapons that are not otherwise prohibited by law. Any individual checking a firearm, dangerous weapon or an item deemed to be a dangerous weapon at a court facility must be issued a receipt. Notice of the location of the facility shall be posted as required under subsection (d).

and then ask, where is the locker facility?

In Beaver County they have little lockers at the metal detectors. in Lehigh County, you have to go upstairs to the Sheriff's office and hand it to a Sheriff who will issue a receipt.

after you find out, let your sister know. I tried calling Washington County just now, but they are done for the day.

[GHF]

According to my sister, the postings are up, but there is no storage facility. She is in there almost every day, and has no idea where they might be.

Has anybody had any direct contact with the Washington County Sheriff's Office that might shed some light on this?

[/dev/null]

Go back to sdsorrentino's post and read it verbatim to the sheriff. If they dont have lockers available Im sure that a few of us would oblidge to begin a letter campaign to the facility / sherriff / etc.

[knight0334]

One thing to note is, if its a Federal Court house, they are not required by PA law to provide storage and just simple entering a Fed court with the gun is a crime. Only state level and lessor courts are required under the law.