Limestone County judge warns open courthouse doors left staff, jurors at risk; court seeks security policy

The local administrative judge told the Limestone County Commissioner's Court on an agenda item that an open-to-the-public event left multiple courthouse doors propped open after hours, risking the safety of jurors, staff and officials.

The judge said the doors "were propped open with a trash can. Scared the daylights out of me," and described leaving a multi-day jury trial to find entrances unsecured. The judge asked the court to adopt a formal policy for after-hours use of the courthouse and said a courthouse security committee should develop recommendations for who must be notified and how the building will be secured during and after events.

The nut graf: county officials acknowledged that the courthouse regularly hosts after-hours meetings and community events, and that without a written procedure some gatherings have proceeded without notifying courthouse security or arranging for an on-site deputy to secure the building afterward. Commissioners and staff said a policy, a security-committee meeting and modest interim steps could reduce risk before more expensive infrastructure changes are considered.

Commissioners discussed near-term and long-term approaches. Several court members suggested limiting after-hours entries to one controlled entrance and notifying designated staff so a deputy or facilities manager can lock the building after the event. One commissioner said an overnight officer could check the building when events run late; the sheriff'''s office indicated overtime could be used if budgeted.

Participants noted prior efforts to improve courthouse security had stalled because of staffing limits. "I do think, and I agree with the judges, that if the courthouse needs to be monitored after hours ... at least somebody coming up and making sure it's locked," a county speaker said. The sheriff'''s office and facilities staff agreed to meet with the court security committee to draft a recommendation, and the court scheduled a committee meeting to produce a policy for future approval.

Ending: The court did not adopt a single permanent infrastructure solution at the meeting, noting price estimates for full electronic upgrades could reach several hundred thousand dollars. Commissioners asked staff and the security committee to return with a written policy and a short-term plan to require event requests, designate an entry point for attendees and assign closure duties to named personnel.