Commissioners consider court house security

WAXAHACHIE – The Ellis County Commissioner’s Court discussed a report on the Committee on Security at the Ellis County Courthouse at last week’s Commissioner’s Court meeting. No action was taken.

Conversation was back and forth with the commissioners as well as Ellis County District Attorney Patrick Wilson and Ellis County Sheriff Charles Edge.

There were a number of people who spoke during public comment about the security at the courthouse. There was an emphasis on the four doors into the courthouse, security to get inside and handguns being brought into the courthouse and court room. There are generally no handguns permitted inside a courtroom, which would include the commissioner’s courtroom. Wilson said at the meeting it “shocked his conscious” regarding the possibility.

He said he took no position on the matter, but referred to Texas Penal Code 46.035c stating

(c) ”A license holder commits an offense if the license holder intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries a handgun under the authority of Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, regardless of whether the handgun is concealed or carried in a shoulder or belt holster, in the room or rooms where a meeting of a governmental entity is held and if the meeting is an open meeting subject to Chapter 551, Government Code, and the entity provided notice as required by that chapter.”

Wilson suggested commissioner’s court be moved to the Ellis County Courts Building as a remedy for the situation. Ellis County Judge Todd Little said it was not an option.

Other items discussed regarding the security issues included employees carrying handguns with a LTC, and the doors to the courthouse being opened for use. One person who spoke during the public comments regarding security at the court house said, “Bad guys are not going to worry about carrying a gun.”

Edge said it would be hard for him to add extra deputies to the courthouse if additional doors were to be opened. He said he would offer a plan, but if the four doors were open to the public it would not do any good to have deputies at one door and not the other ones.

Currently there is only one entrance into the courthouse and those entering pass through a security check. If all the doors were open there would need to be possible additional security checks. If there were not, the question arises would there need to be a security check at the door into the courtroom?

Ellis County Judge Todd Little said to open the courthouse would make downtown happy since it has been closed two years now.

Additional information and suggestions will be submitted at the July Commissioner’s Court meeting.