CHARLES CITY, Iowa (AP) - A judge has issued an administrative order banning guns and other weapons in and around judicial offices in north Iowa courthouses.
The Globe Gazette reports that Second Judicial District chief judge Kurt Wilke gave the order Oct. 12. The ban covers the district's 22 counties.
Areas where weapons are prohibited include courtrooms, jury rooms, clerks' offices, judges' chambers, court reporter offices, juvenile court offices, judicial administrative offices, as well as hallways, lobbies and conference rooms.
Law enforcement and court officers are exempt from the ban, which is based on security recommendations by the Iowa State Association of Counties and the Iowa Judicial Council.
Iowa Firearms Coalition Board Member Richard Rogers says he understands the security concerns, but believes the order overreaches when it prohibits citizens from carrying weapons in public areas outside of court venues.
Published: Tue, Oct 25, 2016
