TexasCHLforum.com

DubiousDan wrote:I've been called for jury duty at the Bexar County Justice Center. I'm aware that I'm not allowed to carry in the building, but does anyone know if the provide for some sort of locker or anyway to store a weapon?

I seriously doubt it. Keep it in the car.

I was called for jury duty in Galveston last year. Before going through the security checkpoint they announced that any person having any kind of weapon including knives should leave the building and store them in their vehicle.

It's been a few years since I went to jury duty there, but no they did not have such a locker, and there is no requirement for them to provide one.

Interestingly, there is at least one state that requires court houses to provide lockers for CHL carriers who come to the court house. I've posted on it before, but forgot exactly which one it was -- it is either Oregon or Washington state. Would like to see Texas adopt this.

It's Washington that you're thinking of, but New Hampshire also requires that courts provide secure storage.

Speaking of NH, they have the shortest known list of places that are statutorily off limits:
1. Courthouses.
2. There is no "2".

chabouk wrote:It's Washington that you're thinking of, but New Hampshire also requires that courts provide secure storage.

Speaking of NH, they have the shortest known list of places that are statutorily off limits:
1. Courthouses.
2. There is no "2".

Texas needs to adopt this. I love the KISS method.

Texas doesn't seem to know about KISS

Here some local LEO would arbitrarily decide that any county-owned business is a "Courthouse".
Just like the Ft Worth Zoo is a "school", or the Tarrant County Records building is posted 30.06

Speaking courthouses, I was in the county clerk's office in the basement of the Southlake courthouse in Town Square today with the missus taking care of things related to our business. We both carry, and since it was not a courtroom, I didn't bother disarming. Did I do a boo-boo?

I've been going over the downloaded PDF of the statutes, but just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. (You would think that by now, I've have it committed to memory. )

PC §46.03. PLACES WEAPONS PROHIBITED. (a) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly possesses or goes with a firearm, illegal knife, club, or prohibited weapon in Section 46.05(a):
(1)...
(2)...
(3) one the premises of any government court or offices utilized by the court, unles pursuant to written regulations or written authorization of the court;...

Elsewhere of course, "premises" is defined as a building or portion of a building. There is no signage either on the exterior or just inside the Southlake Courthouse building indicating that the court located there claims the entire building as "premises," so I acted on the assumption that it does not. However, am I not correct in understanding that a court is not required by law to post anything anywhere even if they had laid claim to the whole building as premises; and that some courthouses might be off limits to CHL, without any warning to CHL holders?

I don't care that much. I just wanted to know if anyone knew anything specifically about the Southlake Courthouse.

TAM, isn't that a Tarrant county sub-courthouse? I'm not sure they hold any kind court in that building. I don't think that Arlington's county sub-courthouse does either. In that event, I don't think it's prohibited. Note I said "I don't think".

My $.02 worth

Recently had jury duty and can confirm, no lockers or other provisions for storage...just very uncomfortable chairs while waiting to be selected or released.

If its a courthouse, I am not going to test the waters even if it has Sub in it.

I got called for jury duty in Dallas Co. civil court a few years back. Going through the security checkpoint, I asked the guard about storage lockers for securing "weapons". He was quite helpful in pointing out where they were and how to use this service they provided until he found out that I was not police. Turns out they have them, but only for law enforcement use, and told me there were no provisions for private CHL use.

I know that the Southwest Sub-Courthose in Tarrant County houses JP Court and if you don't think a JP Court is real argue that with the Judge.

joe817 wrote:TAM, isn't that a Tarrant county sub-courthouse? I'm not sure they hold any kind court in that building. I don't think that Arlington's county sub-courthouse does either. In that event, I don't think it's prohibited. Note I said "I don't think".

My $.02 worth

I know there's a traffic court there, but I don't know if there are other courts.