County offices?

[229Mick]

I have a class at a Chester County office, (not in the court house), and I haven't seen anything that says one way or the other, so I figured I'd ask.
Can I carry in a county office? If not, will they have a secure place to check it as they would at the court?

Thanks for any input...

Mick

[donm]

Sounds entirely legal here in PA.

[anonymouse]

I have a class at a Chester County office, (not in the court house), and I haven't seen anything that says one way or the other, so I figured I'd ask.
Can I carry in a county office? If not, will they have a secure place to check it as they would at the court?

Thanks for any input...

Mick

If it meets this definition, then you can't carry there but they are required to provide storage (and post signs indicating this):

"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.

Other relevant portions:

(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 a 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).

http://reference.pafoa.org/statutes/...ourt-facility/

[johnpsu]

Any Chester County court facility, including the Justice Center, is off limits to firearms. The Government Services Center on Westtown Road is also off limits to firearms (there is a court facility in the building).

Otherwise, most other County facilities should abide by state law.

[229Mick]

That's where I was thinking of. Do you know if they have a place to check firearms when you're there?

[anonymouse]

That's where I was thinking of. Do you know if they have a place to check firearms when you're there?

If it's off limits, they MUST offer storage per §913(e). Do not let them tell you to lock it in your car - they're required by law to provide storage.

Edit: See this great post by MDJschool about the history of 913:

http://forum.pafoa.org/1293619-post-12.html

Decades and possibly centuries of ignoring the supreme law of the land on the right to bear arms is unforgivable on its own, but let me walk you through the legislative history of § 913.

1995, June 13, P.L. 1024, No. 17 (Spec. Sess. No. 1), § 1, effective in 120 days.
1995 Pa. Legis. Serv. Sp. Sess. No. 1 Act 1995-17 (H.B. 110) (SS1) (PURDON'S) - A UFA omnibus bill is passed that includes a framework for banning weapons in court facilities, and is prefaced with the following legislative intent:
The General Assembly hereby declares that the purpose of this act is to provide support to law enforcement in the area of crime prevention and control, that it is not the purpose of this act to place any undue or unnecessary restrictions or burdens on law-abiding citizens with respect to the acquisition, possession, transfer, transportation or use of firearms, rifles or shotguns for personal protection, hunting, target shooting, employment or any other lawful activity, and that this act is not intended to discourage or restrict the private ownership and use of firearms by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes, or to provide for the imposition by rules or regulations of any procedures or requirements other than those necessary to implement and effectuate the provisions of this act. The General Assembly hereby recognizes and declares its support of the fundamental constitutional right of Commonwealth citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and this Commonwealth.
The statute provides for lockers: <<+(e) Facilities for checking firearms.--Each county shall make available, at or near the main entrance to the courthouse, lockers or similar facilities for the temporary checking of firearms by persons carrying firearms under section 6106(b) or 6109.+>> The year is 1995.

Amended 1995, Nov. 22, P.L. 621, No. 66, § 2, imd. effective
1995 Pa. Legis. Serv. Act 1995-66 (S.B. 282) (PURDON'S)
In a full-of-random-junk Crimes Code omnibus bill, § 913 gets a deadline for counties to implement lockers, probably because they didn't follow the law the first time around.
(e) Facilities for checking firearms.--Each county shall make available<<-, at or near the main entrance to the courthouse->> <<+by July 1, 1996+>>, 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. <<+Notice of the location of the facility shall be posted as required under subsection (d).+>>
The year is still 1995.

1999, Dec. 15, P.L. 915, No. 59, § 1, effective in 60 days
1999 Pa. Legis. Serv. Act 1999-59 (S.B. 167) (PURDON'S)
In another full-of-random-junk Crimes Code omnibus bill, § 913 gets a NEW deadline, probably because no one listened the second time around.
(e) Facilities for checking firearms <<+or other dangerous weapons+>>.-- Each county shall make available <<+at or within the building containing a court facility+>> by July 1, <<-1996->> 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).
The year is 1999.

The year is now 2010. One or more parties have been remiss in their duty not for 8 years but approaching 15. Has anyone been prosecuted for that nonfeasance? Removed from office? The county as a corporate body has to legislate the funds, and if they fail, the president judge is also responsible for the lack of lockers (see Pa.R.Crim.P., Rule 116.) Let's make a list of other crimes we would tolerate for 15 years.

[craigc]

So even though when I got my jury summons and in it they state no firearms I should be ok;to still carry and just ask for storage when I arrive Monday and Tuesday next week? BTW this is at Chester County court house.Since this will be my first time carrying to jury duty is it suggested to un-load before I get in there?

[anonymouse]

So even though when I got my jury summons and in it they state no firearms I should be ok;to still carry and just ask for storage when I arrive Monday and Tuesday next week? BTW this is at Chester County court house.Since this will be my first time carrying to jury duty is it suggested to un-load before I get in there?

I am not a lawyer.

There are technically no firearms allowed inside the courthouse - but they MUST provide storage for you while you're inside. I know some counties like to tell people to "just put it in your car" because they don't want to deal with checking it.

If that happens, tell them to look at 18 Pa.C.S. §913(e), and then ask them again where you go to store your firearm. They are required by law to provide storage. Don't take 'no' for an answer.

[gnbrotz]

Since this will be my first time carrying to jury duty is it suggested to un-load before I get in there?

I would say no. The majority of the time I have checked firearms, I have not had to unload my firearm. If they request that you do so, as where the clearing station is and verbally object if there is no safe place to clear your gun. Remind them that the more a firearm is manipulated, the more likely it is for a mishap to happen, but don't let them suggest that such an argument is a reason for you to have "left it at home" to start with.

[howard stiffy]

At the Courthouse, advise the deputy at the entrance that you have one
to check in. He'll wave you around the detector, you open a locker, place
your firearm (and knife, leatherman, extra mags, maglite, etc.) in the locker, lock it and take the key.

At the new services building, there is a foyer before the detectors.
Simply enter to the right to the room with the lockers and do the
same.

While walking from the courthouse to the services building last week
(OC), I heard a "SIR!" from a deputy. "Here we go", I thought.
He caught up to me, "Sir! I see your carrying openly. Do you have
any hassles doing that?"

Ended up having a nice chat the rest of the way. He's a supporter of OC.
The deputies at the detectors actually thought we were pals!