Judiciary
Courthouse Security Could Be Victim of Declining Budgets
Budget problems caused by the economic downturn may delay improvements in courthouse security.
Interviews with several court officials revealed that “judicial security in states remains fragmented and uneven—and the bad economy may slow planned upgrades,” the National Law Journal reports.
The article reports on these problems:
• The sheriff in Hamilton County, Ohio, is considering reassigning courthouse security deputies to other jobs because of economic pressures.
• California Chief Justice Ronald George is seeking $27 million for courthouse security improvements even as the state faces a $40 billion budget deficit.
• A judge in Oklahoma says court security funding, the responsibility of counties, is a “hodgepodge.”
