Email I just got from Washington State Chief Justice

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TriCityOC wrote:

Can the OP not simply e-mail back and ask the Chief Justice who he feels is the local legislative authority with the responsability to provide the lockboxes?

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Not sure if you read my other posts or not, but I got a response from the Washington Legislature, and they informed me that the lock boxes and storage areas only pertain to county and municipal courts, not the Washington Supreme Court, so I've felt it isn't necessary to email him back.

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Aaron1124 wrote:

TriCityOC wrote:

Can the OP not simply e-mail back and ask the Chief Justice who he feels is the local legislative authority with the responsability to provide the lockboxes?

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Not sure if you read my other posts or not, but I got a response from the Washington Legislature, and they informed me that the lock boxes and storage areas only pertain to county and municipal courts, not the Washington Supreme Court, so I've felt it isn't necessary to email him back.

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They probably are not required at the State Appellate courts then either.

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I'm going to send another email asking if their preemption law doesn't include state government agencies.

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That may be their interpretation of the law. But if that was the Chief Justices interpretation then he would have only given you one reason: The law doesn't require them to be furnished. He didn't, instead he said that the Local Legislative authority hadn't provided them. He didn't say that they weren't supposed to.

I would follow up with him, or someone, to confirm that the state legislature is the authority in question and then send a copy of the legislatures response to the Justice and let him know that they don't think they need to be provided. It seems obvious to me that he believes that it is their responsability to provide the lockboxes.

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My response:

Chief Justice Alexander,

Thank you for your response regarding the Washington State Supreme Court and lock boxes for firearms. I just received an email from an assistant to Rep. Dave Upthegrove, and they confirmed that the Washington Legislature exempts Washington State Supreme Court from having to provide lock boxes or storage areas for firearms, therefore they wouldn't provide one. It was also stated that style=""The law is silent on courts that are not governed by a "local legislative authority." It would apply to counties (superior and district courts) and cities (municipal courts).

Thanks again for your time,

Aaron

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kwiebe wrote:

True, but why even go where he did then? My problem is the window into officials' thoughts we keep getting. The Bauer guy in Kitsap, for example. It's just wrong. The common theme is, "I don't care what the law says, I'm going to apply my own beliefs."

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Might as well get used to hearing this. Our soon to be newest member of SCOTUShas shownthis all through her career, both by deed and words.

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Very interesting. Here's a NEW email I received. So what's the deal? It contradicts my other email I received.

The WA Supreme Court is not exempt from RCW 9.41.300 and there is a WAC, WAC 236-12-470 that prohibits a person from carrying a firearm on the capitol grounds or into any building located on the capitol grounds, including the WA Supreme Court.

As we discussed, the language of RCW 9.41.300 provides that a person visiting a court with a concealed pistol license shall be provided with a place to store his or her weapon or the court shall designate a person with whom the person can safely leave his or her weapon. I was hoping to provide the constituent with the information regarding with whom he could leave his weapon when visiting the WA Supreme Court. Unfortunately, I was not able to get this information. The WSP has indicated that a person visiting the WA Supreme Court should leave his or her firearm locked in his or her car.

Below is the text of the WAC I mentioned prohibiting weapons on campus.

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WAC 236-12-470 Prohibiting access to state capitol buildings and grounds while armed with dangerous weapons or with devices used to disrupt state business.(1) No person shall carry any firearm or other dangerous weapon as described in chapter 9.41 RCW on the state capitol grounds or in any building on the state capitol grounds: Provided, That this regulation shall not apply to duly authorized federal, state, and local law enforcement officers or to any federal, state, and local government employee authorized to carry firearms in the course of their public employment; and: Provided, That a person may carry a firearm in accordance with chapter 9.41 RCW.

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That WAC does not prohibit firearms from being carried at the Capitol. It prohibits firearms if you violate RCW 9.41.

In a nutshell it says that if you violate the law you are not allowed to carry weapons on the capitol grounds.

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So here we have the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court AND the WSP saying that firearms can't be carried into the court facility at all?

I can't seem to find a statute on this.

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Aaron1124 wrote:

So here we have the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court AND the WSP saying that firearms can't be carried into the court facility at all?

I can't seem to find a statute on this.

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The court facility maybe but certainly not the entire capitol grounds.

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Aaron1124 wrote:

Very interesting. Here's a NEW email I received. So what's the deal? It contradicts my other email I received.

The WA Supreme Court is not exempt from RCW 9.41.300 and there is a WAC, WAC 236-12-470 that prohibits a person from carrying a firearm on the capitol grounds or into any building located on the capitol grounds, including the WA Supreme Court.

...

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Below is the text of the WAC I mentioned prohibiting weapons on campus.

_____________________________________________


WAC 236-12-470 Prohibiting access to state capitol buildings and grounds while armed with dangerous weapons or with devices used to disrupt state business.(1) No person shall carry any firearm or other dangerous weapon as described in chapter 9.41 RCW on the state capitol grounds or in any building on the state capitol grounds: Provided, That this regulation shall not apply to duly authorized federal, state, and local law enforcement officers or to any federal, state, and local government employee authorized to carry firearms in the course of their public employment; and: Provided, That a person may carry a firearm in accordance with chapter 9.41 RCW.

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It would appear that you can carry concealed on the campus grounds and in buildings, just not in the court.

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Aaron1124 wrote:

Very interesting. Here's a NEW email I received. So what's the deal? It contradicts my other email I received.

The WA Supreme Court is not exempt from RCW 9.41.300 and there is a WAC, WAC 236-12-470 that prohibits a person from carrying a firearm on the capitol grounds or into any building located on the capitol grounds, including the WA Supreme Court.

As we discussed, the language of RCW 9.41.300 provides that a person visiting a court with a concealed pistol license shall be provided with a place to store his or her weapon or the court shall designate a person with whom the person can safely leave his or her weapon. I was hoping to provide the constituent with the information regarding with whom he could leave his weapon when visiting the WA Supreme Court. Unfortunately, I was not able to get this information. The WSP has indicated that a person visiting the WA Supreme Court should leave his or her firearm locked in his or her car.

Below is the text of the WAC I mentioned prohibiting weapons on campus.

_____________________________________________


WAC 236-12-470 Prohibiting access to state capitol buildings and grounds while armed with dangerous weapons or with devices used to disrupt state business.(1) No person shall carry any firearm or other dangerous weapon as described in chapter 9.41 RCW on the state capitol grounds or in any building on the state capitol grounds: Provided, That this regulation shall not apply to duly authorized federal, state, and local law enforcement officers or to any federal, state, and local government employee authorized to carry firearms in the course of their public employment; and: Provided, That a person may carry a firearm in accordance with chapter 9.41 RCW.

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I've carried into a hearing room at the Capitol Building on a bill about "GUNS" in colleges, and just about every other person carried as well. This Chief Justice is clowning you around, and to send you that WAC is just moronic. Tell him that even if you can't carry in the court of the supreme court, they don't have any metal detectors nor do they even have a deputy, or WSP officer there to"Provide" them security. And these are the "Douchebags" we have in office, same as the "Douchebags" we have in the legislature!


PS: There is nothing illegal about carrying your sidearm at the capitol buildings/campus. That WAC does not apply to people following RCW 9.41. That chief justice is going senile.