Murder in the Courthouse

[Rouser2]

A 6'4" ex linebacker prisoner wrests the gun from a 5'2" female grandma employed as a sherriff's deputy and goes on to shoot her and three others. Thus, the consequences of egalitarianism.


America's Law Enforcement -- an Equal Opportunity Employer (5'2" grandmas welcome).

[Bikewer]

Sounded like really lax security when I first heard the news break. They quoted a courts administrator today on NPR's Weekend Edition saying that he'd been formally complaining about court security for some time.

We had our wake-up call locally years ago, when a fellow at a divorce hearing smuggled in pistols and killed his estranged wife and her attorney, then went on a rampage through the circuit court building before being shot by officers who were there to testify.

Now there's an in-house security agency, police-manned checkpoints, metal detectors, and a variety of other measures as well.

[Tmy]

If only she was allowed to carry a gun.......umm nevermind.


Isnt there usually more than one court officer on hand to escort people??? And you do need women deputies, usually to deal with women perps.

[crimresearch]

Originally posted by Tmy
If only she was allowed to carry a gun.......umm nevermind.


Isnt there usually more than one court officer on hand to escort people??? And you do need women deputies, usually to deal with women perps.

Depends on the jurisdiction, but in many places, bailiffs aren't law enforcement...the job is limited, and supposed to be safe for older or less able employees when proper precautions and policies are followed.

Often in cases like this, one can look back and see that the policies were weakened, and in some cases, it was judges who didn't want to send the 'wrong message' by having a courtroom full of 'intimidating' staff.

[Tmy]

Sounds like an f-up to me. The guy was up on some serious charges right? Even if it was a male deputy, there shouldve been more than one deputy. They shouldve had more security. I think in Mass you're not allowed to have guns in court. At least the court officers arent armed.

[aerocontrols]

Originally posted by Tmy
Sounds like an f-up to me. The guy was up on some serious charges right? Even if it was a male deputy, there shouldve been more than one deputy. They shouldve had more security. I think in Mass you're not allowed to have guns in court. At least the court officers arent armed.

The day before the murders, Nichols had smuggled in a shiv and he got caught with it. Because of that, prosecutors had requested extra security to be added to watch him.

[Rouser2]

Originally posted by Tmy
If only she was allowed to carry a gun.......umm nevermind.


Isnt there usually more than one court officer on hand to escort people??? And you do need women deputies, usually to deal with women perps.

If only all the other law enforcment officers in the building carried a gun. They could have stopped him. But no, only court deputies were allowed to carry -- 5'2" grandmas.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by Bikewer
We had our wake-up call locally years ago, when a fellow at a divorce hearing smuggled in pistols and killed his estranged wife and her attorney, then went on a rampage through the circuit court building before being shot by officers who were there to testify.


Kenneth Baumruk. I was on the grand jury that indicted him!

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by Rouser2
A 6'4" ex linebacker prisoner wrests the gun from a 5'2" female grandma employed as a sherriff's deputy and goes on to shoot her and three others. Thus, the consequences of egalitarianism.


America's Law Enforcement -- an Equal Opportunity Employer (5'2" grandmas welcome).

I wonder if he was also at Dealey Plaza? LOL!

(for those who are wondering: Rouser2 claims there were numerous assasins in Dealey Plaza on Nov 22nd, 1963. But strangely, Oswald wasn't one of them!)