A new law allowing gun owners to carry their weapons into public places is triggering a controversy. And this time, it's in Utah's busiest courthouse, where the head judge says it's a bad idea to mix guns and justice.
The judge says that court houses are highly emotional places, and allowing guns inside is risky business.
Crime Specialist Karen Scullin has the story.
Right now, it's still illegal to bring a gun beyond the security gates at any of the 45 courthouses in Utah.
But soon there will be gun lockers available, and in the rotunda beyond these doors more people will likely be armed. Some call that a dangerous situation for the one thousand people who come here everyday.
Gun owners have been asking for it, but many
say it's a terrible idea.
Ronald Nehring/Presiding Judge, Third District Court: SOMEBODY'S GOING TO GET SHOT. IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE.
Utah courts are scrambling to get gun lockers up
and ready for
gun owners who wish to bring their weapon
inside a courthouse.
At Matheson in Salt Lake City,
the preliminary plan is to store the guns in a closet to the left of the rotunda,
inside lockers.
Larry Gobelman/Court Executive, Third District Court: NOW WILL THE PERSON PULL HIS GUN OUT AND PUT IT IN THERE THEMSELVES OR DO THEY HAND IT TO THE BAILIFF? RIGHT NOW WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT THEY WILL TAKE THE WEAPON FOR FIREARM AND REMOVE THE BULLETS AND PUT THEM IN A SEPERATE CONTAINER AND THEN PLACE THEM IN THE STORAGE UNIT.
Judge Nehring: EITHER THROUGH INTENTIONAL CONDUCT OR SIMPLY BY ACCIDENT THE NUMBER OF TIMES THESE WEAPONS ARE GOING TO BE HANDLED IN THIS COURTHOUSE, IS ACCORDING TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE I'VE TALKED TO , LEAD TO SOMEONE GETTING HURT.
Karen Scullin/Eyewitness News: ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDES STEEL REINFORCEMENTS AROUND THE LOCKERS BUT ALSO RIGHT HERE IN THIS WALL, SO THAT SOMEONE PUTTING THEIR GUN IN OR TAKING IT OUT OF THE LOCKER WON'T ACCIDENTALLY SHOOT THROUGH THE WALL INTO THE BUSY ROTUNDA.
But to some, that's not enough.
Judge Nehring: WE ARE PUTTING THE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THIS BUILDING, AND THE PEOPLE WHO VISIT THIS COURTHOUSE, IN SUBSTANTIAL RISK.
Nehring also says a lot people who come and go from the courthouse are angry. He says it's a bad idea to have those angry people handling guns inside the courthouse.
Now although the state legislature has mandated that gun lockers be in place by May 6th or next Monday, that's NOT going to happen.
Administrators say they need several more months to get the plans in place.
April 30, 2002
