Judiciary
Disorder in the Court: Rat Snake Found in Texas Criminal Building
A nonvenomous, 4-foot-long rat snake that somehow slithered up to a fourth-floor closet of a Houston area criminal courthouse initially caused consternation when it was discovered this week because officials feared it was a rattlesnake.
Not so, but an investigation is under way to determine how the reptile, which has been turned over to animal control, made it past security four stories up into the busy building, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Snake ownership is not illegal, notes Kevin Hoffman, facilities director at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center. “But using a snake to assault someone is illegal,” he says.
