MICHIGAN
SUPREME COURT ORDER BANS WEAPONS FROM COURT FACILITIES
LANSING - The
Michigan Supreme Court by order has barred weapons from courtrooms,
court offices or other spaces used for official court business within
the state court system. It also barred judicial employees from carrying
weapons in those spaces. The order was given immediate effect.
"The issue of
courthouse safety is important not only to the judicial employees of
this state, but also to all those who are summoned to Michigan
courtrooms or who visit for professional or personal reasons," the
court said in Administrative Order 2001-1.
The order directed
each court to submit a written policy conforming to the order to the
State Court Administrative Office as soon as possible. Courts were
encouraged to develop their policies with other entities in shared
facilities and to work with local funding units where appropriate. The
order permitted policies to be part of a general security plan or a
separate plan.
** Security
Policy for the Michigan Supreme Court
** Security
Policy for the Cheboygan County Courthouse
May
25, 2001
Administrative
Order 2001-3
Security Policy
for the Michigan Supreme Court
_____________________________
Effective immediately, in accordance with Article 6, sections 1, 4, and
5 of the Michigan Constitution, and Administrative Order 2001-1, the
following policy is adopted for the Michigan Supreme Court.
IT IS ORDERED THAT
- No weapons are
allowed in the courtroom of the Supreme Court or in other facilities
used for official business of the Court. This prohibition does
not apply to security personnel of the Court in the performance of
their official duties, or to law enforcement officers in the
performance of their official duties, if the officer is in uniform (
or otherwise properly identified) and is not a party to a matter
then before the Court. The Chief Justice may authorize
additional exceptions under appropriate circumstances.
- All persons and
objects are subject to screening by Court security personnel, for
the purpose of keeping weapons from entering Court facilities.
- Notice shall be
posted that " No weapons are permitted in this Court facility.
"
- Persons in
violation of this order may be held in contempt of Court.