Lehigh County Gov. Center

[1iarrowking]

http://www.wfmz.com/lehighvalleynews...43/detail.html

ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- Security upgrades are now in place at the Lehigh County Government Center in Allentown.

From now on, visitors can only access the building through the main entrance on Seventh Street. They must then go through a security checkpoint and a metal detector.

Employees also get identification cards with electronic access codes.

The upgrades mean the government center now has the same security procedures as the courthouse.

Does this mean they are going to have lockers to check and store your firearm when you enter or are they just going to tell you you can't enter at all with a firearm?

[Rosco the Iroc]

Good question. You beat me to it.

[P7hk9]

Are there courts or detention facilities in the building?

[1iarrowking]

Are there courts or detention facilities in the building?

Not to my knowledge. Anyone here know differently?

[Rosco the Iroc]

Nope. Prop records, Veterans office, tax office, and the others listed in the article.

Funny thing is it they are checking but it didn't say they banned anything.

[IronSight]

I'm already on top of this; right now a couple of the Commissioners are finding out exactly what the new "security" is supposed to entail.

Part of an e-mail I just received in response from one of the Commissioners state's the following:

Thank You for your concerns. I will forward your concerns to the Executive Branch
and ask them to review to make sure we are complaint with Title 18 Criminal Statue sub section 913. In review as I entered the building at the front entrance I did not see any posting of Paragraph D and E in Title 18 sub section 913. Did I miss them last night?

More importantly the right to free citizens under Title 18 of the Criminal Statue sub section 6120 shall not be infringed on. If Title 18 sub section 913 does not apply.

I have tomorrow off from work, and I'll be going down there in person to check things out. I'll post updates.

Edit to add: PAFOA user ABuck tipped me off about this two days ago, a HUGE thank you to him for that.

2nd edit: If anyone wants to help in this matter, feel free to contact the Lehigh County Commissioners with questions and concerns, it would be great to have more people calling in and asking what's going on: Phone: 610-782-3050, Fax: 610-820-3053. Also, feel free to e-mail them at commissionersoffice@lehighcounty.org.

Contacting the County Executive Don Cunningham, @ doncunningham@lehighcounty.org, could also help.

[IronSight]

Okay, two observations from today.

1) The security is basically the exact same thing as at the Courthouse, although they need to start issuing receipts (if 18 Pa.C.S. § 913 applies) and post the building.

2) There is a Sheriff's "office" in the building. So by my reading (I am not a lawyer) of the statute it appears that the definition of "court facility" may in fact be met. I had personally never noticed the office before, however, and am wondering if it became an office of the Sheriff only upon implementing the new security measures, I'll try to find out. I also don't know if any of the other rooms that would satisfy the statute above are in the building or not.

[Rosco the Iroc]

Thanks for checking and the answers so far.
rep sent

[Ten*K]

They have three keyed pistol sized safest on the top shelf of a closet next to the security desk. They keep the key. Pretty high drag/low speed. Perhaps they need to enact another 70% plus tax hike and buy a clue.

[Mosinshooter762]

Just for reference the meaning of "Court facility" from Section 913 is cited below.

Is there a courtroom in the building, or prisoner holding cells, or judge's chambers, etc?

Otherwise would giving, say Deputy Fife, his own office by himself in a separate building be enough to make that separate office, and adjoining corridors a "Court facility" in Pennsylvania under Section 913?

To me the definition of "Court facility" in Section 913 makes the answer seems clear to the above example. However, I will withhold opinion until more discussion has ensued.

It seems that Lehigh County may be trying to stretch the limits on what a "Court facility" is within Section 913, in order to stop people from carrying arms in a government building, which is something they otherwise could not do. Whether it is legal or not is the question.

(*Used a TV character to make point)

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

(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.