DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT INSTITUTES WEAPONS SCREENING
After one shooting and several close calls, The Los Angeles County Courthouse has developed new security procedures. Beginning the first week of July, 1999, all persons entering the downtown Los Angeles County Courthouse will be screened for weapons. There will be one metal detector and one x-ray machine at five of the courthouse entrances. All others will be closed. The five entrances are: (1) first floor Hill Street; (2) first floor judge’s parking garage; (3) second floor to the plaza (by jury assembly room; (4) second floor to First Street; (5) fourth floor to Grand Avenue. Only moderate delays are expected, but those that have experienced the delays caused by weapons screening in Van Nuys, Long Beach and other courts are skeptical. The Sheriff’s Department suggests that attorneys with court appearances, particularly during the first week of the new procedures, allow an extra 15 minutes to get into the courthouse.
All boxes and briefcases will have to be screened. Special provisions are being made for attorneys with large volumes of trial exhibits. They should call the court administrator to make arrangements to bring all exhibits and boxes to the court in the afternoon of the day before the hearing or trial. Judges will allow them to be stored in the courtroom. The Presiding Judge and the Sheriff’s Department have assured the all the judges and members of the bar that they will not allow the screening process to cause extraordinary delays.
Robert Aronoff is The Beverly Hills Bar Association’s liaison with the Superior Court who can discuss this security procedures with both the Presiding Judge and the Sheriff’s Department. If you have any comments after the procedures start, please submit them in writing to the Beverly Hills Bar Association’s office and they will be brought to the attention of the appropriate people.
