Northampton County Courthouse

[IronSight]

Just the peeons.

Which is exactly the problem; I was at the courthouse earlier this week and requested in-person to schedule a meeting with the Sheriff.

I was told that my request would be passed on; I'll be back in a week if I don't get a call between now and then.

[pamedic]

Which is exactly the problem; I was at the courthouse earlier this week and requested in-person to schedule a meeting with the Sheriff.

I was told that my request would be passed on; I'll be back in a week if I don't get a call between now and then.

Sounds like most are upset that they need to wait outside to have a firearm locked up. I still think they are just exercising their "No firearms in a court house" to the extreme by including the Lobby.

[IronSight]

Sounds like most are upset that they need to wait outside to have a firearm locked up. I still think they are just exercising their "No firearms in a court house" to the extreme by including the Lobby.

And yet to check one in you have to enter the lobby to inform a deputy you have a firearm anyway, so they aren't keeping them out of the entrance at all.

I got a call back today, and I have a meeting with the Chief Deputy on Friday.

[jerryg]

This will be next.

Welcome to the Northampton County Courthouse if you are carrying a firearm please ring the bell and wait outside.If you are LEO come right in out of the weather.

[TaePo]

The OP was denied the chance to redress his government / officials or at the very least, to conduct necessary business required by the government (which shouldn't be the case for LTCF but oh, well...). This denial is a far greater offense than bringing a firearm into a courthouse facility. One is a statute and the other is a Constitutional right.

Denied that right even though the OP was following proper procedures, to boot!

Shame on your counties' officials; including the peons.

[TaePo]

Sounds like most are upset that they need to wait outside to have a firearm locked up. I still think they are just exercising their "No firearms in a court house" to the extreme by including the Lobby.

18 Pa.C.S. § 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

<edit for brevity>

(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 magisterial district judge; 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.

Now, if the 'lobby is an adjoining corridor to any of the above rooms, then your courthouse may be all encompassing like my courthouse with a central hallway and no lobby. Or if the lobby opens to any of the above rooms or offices. But in reality, the law does not encompass the entire courthouse itself.

[IronSight]

I just met with the Chief Deputy, and want to relay some information to everyone. I will be heavily involved in pushing forward with things here now that I know some important details.

There is an interesting web of control over security between the Sheriff's Office, Court Administration, and some of the judges. There are plans in place to create a check-in system that is the same for law enforcement and everyone else, but a few things are tying up that plan. I can't say more until I meet with some other officials, but this is a matter where the solution involves coordinating several departments.

The Sheriff's office is eager to correct the issues, at least the Chief Deputy is; as such I'll be in touch with him some more about steps moving forward. He is also going to be putting the deputies through more training on firearms matters.

The Sheriff's Office is also looking at changing their written policies, as their current policy instructs deputies to ask non law enforcement to leave the firearm in a car or elsewhere. I will be discussing the policies with the Sheriff's office in more detail at a later time, as this meeting was just a brief overview of everything.

I am very pleased with the overall outlook of things from this point forward and I will work to see things change for the better soon.

[Statkowski]

One step at a time, that's all that's asked.

Well done!

[9orangeletters]

The Sheriff's Office is also looking at changing their written policies, as their current policy instructs deputies to ask non law enforcement to leave the firearm in a car or elsewhere. I will be discussing the policies with the Sheriff's office in more detail at a later time, as this meeting was just a brief overview of everything.

A response to bolded: FWIW, I've checked my firearm there without incident, and although it takes much longer than it should, I didn't have any issues. Older guy at the metal detector had somebody with stripes come down, and we put my pistol into a pelican case, I got screened through the metal detector, and then it got secured into that "control room" or whatever it is.

[Statkowski]

A response to bolded: FWIW, I've checked my firearm there without incident, and although it takes much longer than it should, I didn't have any issues. Older guy at the metal detector had somebody with stripes come down, and we put my pistol into a pelican case, I got screened through the metal detector, and then it got secured into that "control room" or whatever it is.

Indiana County: Lobby, room to the right, metal detectors straight ahead.

Announce you need to check a firearm, one of the two deputies takes it and stuffs it in one of four lockboxes in the "control room." Then you take all the other stuff in your pockets, throw it in the basket which gets run through the metal detector, then you step through the magic gateway - if it doesn't go "beep" you're good to go. Oh, you get a plastic number as your receipt for the handgun.

No muss, no fuss, no waiting outside, no waiting for someone to come from an office elesewhere.