Superior court judges are sounding the alarm about the safety of courthouses in Washington state. They cited a recent report on the lack of training and security and provided KING 5 the data on weapons seized at these facilities.
King County Superior Court Judge Sean O'Donnell, president of the Superior Court Judges' Association, said security screenings play an important role in courthouses because of the potential for conflict and confrontation.
"People come to court because they have a dispute. Whether it's a family law matter, or a civil matter involving money, or a criminal matter where they're the victim or the defendant, emotions run high in the courts," he said.
In 1995, an angry husband gunned down his wife, Susan Blackwell, and her two friends before a divorce proceeding in the King County Courthouse.
In 2012, Steven Kravetz walked into the Grays Harbor County Courthouse and shot a deputy and stabbed a judge.
Both incidents led to the installation of metal detectors in those buildings. But the new Washington State Courthouse Security Report finds more the half the courthouses in the state still do not conduct weapons screenings.
"You need to fund someone to stand at the door and wand or work the metal detector that costs a lot of money," O'Donnell said.
O'Donnell offered proof that enhanced security pays off. In 2017, screeners at the Snohomish County Courthouse in Everett seized more 10,639 weapons and dangerous items, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office.
The King County Courthouse stopped 14,305 weapons from entering the facility during that same time.
At the Pierce County Courthouse, screeners detected 24,228 prohibited items last year like knives, pepper spray, and stun guns, before they entered the building.
Judge Jim Rogers, the Assistant Presiding Judge for King County, started arguing for better security outside the courthouse last summer after recent attacks on a juror and courthouse staffers.
"All these people are coming to this neighborhood through this courthouse, and it's outrageous that we can't present a basic level of security and safety to come into the courthouse, do their duty and get their day in court," Rogers said.
While the King County Council implemented some improvements, both judges believe it is time for the state to help provide adequate security and training.
"We are state courts applying state laws through state judges, and counties are subdivisions of the state," said O'Donnell. "How that formula ultimately works out is a discussion that the counties and the state need to have."
Last fall, the Washington State Supreme Court adopted General Rule 36, which encourages trial courts to meet minimum security standards including weapons screenings. The judges hope GR36 will be an added push for improvements.
