Senator Al Franken
In response to the dramatic rise in local courthouse violence across the nation—including the December 15, 2011 shooting at the Cook County Courthouse in Grand Marais during which County Attorney Tim Scannell and subpoenaed witness Greg Thompson were wounded— U.S. Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) has introduced the Local Courthouse Safety Act to improve security at smaller courthouses. Senators John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) signed on as original cosponsors of the legislation.
Sen. Franken’s legislation would address security concerns, like a lack of screening equipment and training at local courthouses, by giving courthouses access to the resources they need to improve security. Many local courthouses, especially in rural and suburban areas, lack even basic security measures like metal detectors.
“Under no circumstances should our local sheriffs or court personnel have to put their lives at risk to ensure that the basic acts of our judicial system get carried out,” said Franken. “My legislation will give courtrooms access to the basic resources they need to make sure that every Minnesotan’s day in court is safe.”
Jim Franklin, executive director of the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association, estimated that most rural courthouses in the state have no metal detectors. Several judges around the state have also voiced concern about safety in courthouses; one wrote, “I’m no longer willing to risk my life, the life of court staff, the life of the public who have no choice about going to court.”
The Local Courthouse Safety Act would: provide local courts with access to security training; give states authority to use existing grant money to improve courthouse security; and cut through bureaucratic red tape, giving local courts access to excess federal security equipment, such as metal detectors and screening devices.
A Cook County Security Committee has been formed to study this issue. Membership includes representation from the Sheriff ’s Office, the County Attorney’s Office, the Maintenance Department, Public Health & Human Services, the Personnel Department, Information Systems, the Sixth Judicial District, Court Administration, the county board, the Probation Department, and Emergency Management.
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