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I had to go to the Tax Assessor's office in Plano (off of Park Blvd) to get plates for my new car.

On the front of the building was a notice stating that carrying a weapon was unlawful.

I went back to the car and disarmed, but I really didn't think I should have had to. I thought govt. offices were okay, as long as it wasn't a court house.

What exactly constitutes a courthouse anyway? Is it any premise where a judge or justice of the peace is? If so, that might explain it, as the tax assessor shares a building with a justice of the peace.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I belive it has to be a proper 30.06 sign or it dosen't count. So by the way your posting you could have walked right in with nothing to worry about. Least thats what I gather by reading a few of the post on here dealing with the same issues.

If JOP has his court there that would explain. However, if it's just his office it should not be posted at all.

Another side to this is the tax office used to be in the same building that housed the FBI. Their office was on the second floor and had holding cells. If that is still true, that would be cause not to carry.

Tarrant Appraisal District is similarly posted.
They also usually have a uniformed police officer at a raised desk just to the left as you walk in. I find that a bit intimidating, so I disarm. That's probably their intent.

I guess a lot of people who visit those offices aren't too cheerful about it.

Rex B wrote:Tarrant Appraisal District is similarly posted.
They also usually have a uniformed police officer at a raised desk just to the left as you walk in. I find that a bit intimidating, so I disarm. That's probably their intent.

I guess a lot of people who visit those offices aren't too cheerful about it.

The officer is only there during ARB season. The 30.06 signage is inside the waiting area for ARB. I don't remember seeing by the public entrance.

Are the Reviews considered courtrooms?

In Plano there is a JP court. No can carry.

I thought the same thing when I went there, but I checked and discovered the JP court.

txinvestigator wrote:In Plano there is a JP court. No can carry.

I thought the same thing when I went there, but I checked and discovered the JP court.

Me too.

That is the problem with the law, an improperly posted sign will likely cause you to disarm, as you have no idea if they have a court or offices used by the courtt in their in most of the time.

Renegade wrote:That is the problem with the law, an improperly posted sign will likely cause you to disarm, as you have no idea if they have a court or offices used by the courtt in their in most of the time.

Nice to see you around.

This does need to be addressed in a future session. First, the "off limits" area should be limited to a court room or court office that is in use by the court. Second, specific signage should be required to notify visitors, and there should be no application of the law unless that signage is in place. And last, it should be no less visible than a proper 30.06 notice.

Kevin

Are you saying that someone should have to run to the entrance before each session of the court to put out a sign?

txinvestigator wrote:Are you saying that someone should have to run to the entrance before each session of the court to put out a sign?

To the entrance of the building? Of course not. That's the point: the entire building shouldn't be off-limits just because some certain group of four walls within the building happens to house a court function at that particular moment.

Entrances to court offices would be fairly static; no need to rush out and post them based on the workload. Entrances to court rooms conducting business? Well, if there is a security checkpoint there, then there's ample opportunity to post a valid notice.

KBCraig wrote:This does need to be addressed in a future session. First, the "off limits" area should be limited to a court room or court office that is in use by the court. Second, specific signage should be required to notify visitors, and there should be no application of the law unless that signage is in place. And last, it should be no less visible than a proper 30.06 notice.

Kevin

Agreed. There is too much ambiguity as it is, and there should be a standard sign that a courthouse (or other prohibited premise) should be required to post, eliminating the issue of a CHL potentially carrying unintentionally in a building that contains a courthouse. If such a requirement were made, this would shift the burden from the CHLer having to determine if the venue was prohibited (which leaves room for ambiguity, if it is not readily apparent to the CHLer) to the courthouse having to provide proper notification. It seems this would keep someone from being put in ultimate legal peril for carrying where it is not apparent that the premises are restricted. This would also cut down on improper 30.06 posting in government buildings where a CHLer is unable to ascertain whether they are simply improperly posting and it's OK to carry, or if it's actually a restricted premises (still improperly posted, however the intent). This brings to mind a thread about the Ft. Worth zoo posting 30.06 while the facility is government-owned. I don't think we ever came to a conclusion in that discussion as to whether their claims as an educational institution are proper to prevent carry or not.

KBCraig wrote:This does need to be addressed in a future session. First, the "off limits" area should be limited to a court room or court office that is in use by the court. Second, specific signage should be required to notify visitors, and there should be no application of the law unless that signage is in place. And last, it should be no less visible than a proper 30.06 notice.

Kevin

That is how it was, before SB501 was enacted. Part of the compromise of getting SB501 passed was to give up the whole building, when before it was only the court offices.

Most courts have metal detectors now, so that should be the sign/boundary.

I can't even pay my property taxes (Collin County) now without going through a metal detector, since the whole building is now secured.