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Question about the courthouse

N00blet45

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Aug 22, 2007
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475
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Walton County, Georgia, ,
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I went to the licensing office which is in the county courthouse. At the entrance there were officers and a metal detector as well as a handwritten sign saying no knives (nothing about firearms though). Now I'm curious, since I can't find a state law prohibiting carry in a courthouse, if they would have been able to legally keep me from carrying into the courthouse. Is there any catch-all law (ie disturbing the peace, disobeying a lawful order, etc) they could have used against me? Also I know that in Kentucky 'no firearms' signs don't mean crap unless the manager/owner asks you to leave but who has that authority in the courthouse? Is it up to the officers or would it have to be a judge or someone else?
 

FightingGlock19

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Sep 18, 2007
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Location
, Kentucky, USA
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http://www.kentuckystatepolice.org/conceal.htm
A concealed firearm or other deadly weapon SHALL NOT be carried in the following places:

  • Police station or sheriff's office.
  • Detention facility, prison or jail.
  • Courthouse (Court of Justice, courtroom or court proceeding).
  • County, municipal, or special district governing body meetings.
  • Meeting of governing body of a county, municipality, or special district.
  • General Assembly session, including committee meetings.
  • Any portion of an establishment licensed to dispense beer or alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, which portion of the establishment is primarily devoted to that purpose.
  • Elementary or secondary school facilities (without the consent of school authorities).
  • Child-caring facilities, day care centers, or any certified family child care home.
  • Areas within an airport where restricted access is controlled by the inspection of persons or property.
  • Any place where federal law prohibits the carrying of a firearm.
 

N00blet45

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Walton County, Georgia, ,
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That is under the statute concerning concealed deadly weapons. I'm inquiring about openly carried firearms. Also if you take the wording of the statute it only applies to carrying with a license. Since I don't have a CCDW license that would not apply to me either way. So then I should be legally allowed to open carry into a courthouse, right?

(16) Except as provided in KRS 527.020, no license issued pursuant to this section shall
authorize any person to carry a concealed firearm into
:
(a) Any police station or sheriff's office;
(b) Any detention facility, prison, or jail;
(c) Any courthouse, solely occupied by the Court of Justice courtroom, or court
proceeding;
(d) Any meeting of the governing body of a county, municipality, or special
district; or any meeting of the General Assembly or a committee of the
General Assembly, except that nothing in this section shall preclude a member
of the body, holding a concealed deadly weapon license, from carrying a
concealed deadly weapon at a meeting of the body of which he or she is a
member;
(e) Any portion of an establishment licensed to dispense beer or alcoholic
beverages for consumption on the premises, which portion of the
establishment is primarily devoted to that purpose;
(f) Any elementary or secondary school facility without the consent of school
authorities as provided in KRS 527.070, any child-caring facility as defined in
KRS 199.011, any day-care center as defined in KRS 199.894, or any certified
family child-care home as defined in KRS 199.8982, except however, any
owner of a certified child-care home may carry a concealed firearm into the
owner's residence used as a certified child-care home;
(g) An area of an airport to which access is controlled by the inspection of
persons and property; or
(h) Any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by federal law.
 

BB62

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That kind of depends on whether an OCed pistol is considered a "deadly weapon", right?

>edited for spelling<
 

N00blet45

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Location
Walton County, Georgia, ,
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If you take it from the KSP site then it makes it sound that way but when you look at the actual statute (KRS 237) one would assume it is only talking of concealed deadly weapons, and here is why. First off the prohibitions are found in KRS 237.110 which is under the subsection "Carrying Concealed Deadly Weapon", the title of KRS 237.110 is also "License to carry concealed deadly weapon..." Then, even under KRS 237.110 the statute says "no license issued pursuant to this section shall authorize any person to carry a concealed firearm into..." Meaning that it only limits the licensed carrying of a concealed firearm and not that of openly carried deadly weapons.
 

BB62

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That may be what the black letter law says, but methinks that a court would not interpret things to your advantage, should you try such a thing.

If you want to try, weigh the risks and rewards, then let us know what happens.
 

TheMrMitch

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Joined
Jun 9, 2008
Messages
1,260
Location
Hodgenville, Kentucky, USA
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There are places in a COURTHOUSE that activities other than court proceedings occur: License Bureau, Tax Payment....etc and you are allowed to carry in these places....just not a COURTROOM as it is known.

"(c) Any courthouse, ----->solely occupied by the Court of Justice courtroom<-----, or court
proceeding"
 

N00blet45

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Location
Walton County, Georgia, ,
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Maybe when I get some money saved up I can try carrying openly passed the guards and see what happens. As long as I don't go into the actual courtroom I should be fine, at least how the law is written.

You say you've carried in Kentucky for 35 years, have you ever gone into a courthouse while carrying?
 

TheMrMitch

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Joined
Jun 9, 2008
Messages
1,260
Location
Hodgenville, Kentucky, USA
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N00blet45 wrote:
Maybe when I get some money saved up I can try carrying openly passed the guards and see what happens. As long as I don't go into the actual courtroom I should be fine, at least how the law is written.

You say you've carried in Kentucky for 35 years, have you ever gone into a courthouse while carrying?

That is correct, both open and concealed. Not in Louisville as I don't want the hassle.

Now it is LEGAL to do so, but if posted guards try and stop you, it would be kind of foolhardy to fight them. I haven't run into that just yet. Small towns.

A funny for you: I had been sick and lost a lot of weight and visited the county clerk's office (in the courthouse)while mexican carrying. My Taurus PT945 slipped and travelled down my inside pants leg and the muzzle hung on the inside of my shoe.

THAT was a mess, hobbling allbent over trying to hold the gun and go out the door into the hallway to readjust my weapon.
 

N00blet45

Regular Member
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Aug 22, 2007
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475
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Walton County, Georgia, ,
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Say I am stopped at the door and told not to bring my firearm in, who do I take the issue up to? Obviously I'm not going to fight with security. I know that usually they are just doing what they are told to do.
 

Oubliette

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Jul 7, 2008
Messages
33
Location
Louisville, Kentucky, USA
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I’ve had my own experience with the courthouse in Louisville. First I upset them because there was a box cutter in my purse. They saw the razorblades in the x-ray, so they put it in the little envelope for me. No worries. Then I had to go out to my truck so I took the box cutter and left it. On my return, they x-rayed the purse again. I was asked if I still had razorblades in it. I didn’t think so, and yes he was welcomed to search. First he found the screwdriver, and put that in the little envelope. I’d have never seen that as an issue. Then he found the Gerber… okay that has a knife I can see that. It went into the little envelope too. Then his eyes got as big as silver dollars and he said O’oh. Now I’m thinking that’s a BAD thing. He drags a fully loaded 9mm magazine up from the bowels of my handbag. Oops. I explained that it belonged to a friend and I had dropped it in there so I’d have it with me next time I saw him and not forget to return it, and I had indeed forgotten it was in there. Which was all true. He asked to see my CCDW when I told him I had one and I think that’s all that saved me from trouble. He wouldn’t put it in the little envelope though; I had to go back to the truck again. And at the time I didn’t thinkit prudent to mention to him that the magazine had passed the X-ray twice already and not been seen.



Okay I told you that so I could share what I learned from this little fiasco.



My purse is a much more dangerous place than I had previously thought! Lol now I leave everything in the truck and carry my ID loose.



And that if they get that upset about a screwdriver, a Gerber, and a 9mm magazine, there is no way they are going to let you carry a gun in there concealed, open, or taped to your forehead.


Right or wrong you will be tempting fate if you try. But I would like to hear what happens if you do??
 

jbradford1

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Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
81
Location
Silver Grove, Kentucky, USA
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OK! Not even close to being a novice here but when I was at the Campbell County, KY. Police Dept. speaking to the Assistant Chief...I brought to his attention the sign on the door..."No concealed weapon's allowed"..??or something to that effect on theentrance door. I said to him, "I take it that means I "CAN" come in here OC'ing and there would be no problem as long as you guys knew there was a weapon? (Or such talk)...we were talking about an OC picnic at a local park...His reply was one of agreement that OC'ing there is ok. If the sign specifically denies Concealed Weapons then (in my opinion)OC should be OK...Legally.. maybe not in the eyes of the guards..LOL..which could pose a problem..or an opportunity to educate..if you have the time.

I am going to OC at the County Police Office and get back with you all...wish me luck! LOL!!!!!

Ps. I am already retired and have all the time I need.. Ha ha ha ha I cant miss work!
 

N00blet45

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Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
475
Location
Walton County, Georgia, ,
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jbradford1 wrote:
Ps. I am already retired and have all the time I need.. Ha ha ha ha I cant miss work!

That's my limiting factor right now. It's not a terribly big deal if I end up in jail on charges, it'll just be a big inconvenience and I don't want that.
 
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