Cpl Required for entry to snohco court house?

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The following is something that was postedon another site. Can they require you to have a CPL to check in your firearms regardless of how you carry?



SNOHO court house
xxxxxxxxx» Tue Aug 25, 2009 3:09 pm

So you used to go in the side door of the court house and they had a bank of lockers that you put your weapon in and dropped a quarter in the slot so you could take a key, before you went thru the metal detectors. So the other day I was there and told the main entrance was the one to use now, so I did.
NO LOCKERS!!!! and the metal detector is only 3 feet from the door on the inside. So I just stood there, not knowing if I should walk back to my truck and toss my gun under the seat or just continue to look stupid and block people behind me from entering the building. One little girl from the rental security agency sitting behind a desk asked me what the problem was.
I said " I cant go thru there with my weapon on" pointing at the big metal detector. Others in line behind me kinda froze at this.
"No problem," she said, " I will get the marshal"
So this marshal comes over, lets me walk around the metal detector and asks me to put my weapon in this little safe about 2 ft by 2 ft and writes me a receipt. Then I have to go back thru the metal detector, which beeps and the same little rental chick wands me with a hand held which beeps also and she grabs my shirt to lift it up (without asking) and says, "whats this?" pointing to my holster. I reply "My holster, did you not just see me take out my pistol and put it in the safe?"
"No I didn't, but I dont think you can have that on in here anyway"
I ignored her and went to the elevator. After I was done and back downstairs at the lobby I waved to the marshal who quickly let me get my gun back and said under his breath so nobody else could hear, "It's nice to see a ordinary person carrying a gun, I wish more people would"

So anyway bottom line is if you are open carrying (or concealed)they will lock your weapon up for you if you have a concealed permit, they have to write the number on the receipt ...no concealed permit and you must return the gun to your car regardless of how you are carrying at the time.

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Pierce County Court House bump related posts

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tat2ed_guy wrote:

The following is something that was postedon another site. Can they require you to have a CPL to check in your firearms regardless of how you carry?



SNOHO court house
xxxxxxxxx» Tue Aug 25, 2009 3:09 pm

So you used to go in the side door of the court house and they had a bank of lockers that you put your weapon in and dropped a quarter in the slot so you could take a key, before you went thru the metal detectors. So the other day I was there and told the main entrance was the one to use now, so I did.
NO LOCKERS!!!! and the metal detector is only 3 feet from the door on the inside. So I just stood there, not knowing if I should walk back to my truck and toss my gun under the seat or just continue to look stupid and block people behind me from entering the building. One little girl from the rental security agency sitting behind a desk asked me what the problem was.
I said " I cant go thru there with my weapon on" pointing at the big metal detector. Others in line behind me kinda froze at this.
"No problem," she said, " I will get the marshal"
So this marshal comes over, lets me walk around the metal detector and asks me to put my weapon in this little safe about 2 ft by 2 ft and writes me a receipt. Then I have to go back thru the metal detector, which beeps and the same little rental chick wands me with a hand held which beeps also and she grabs my shirt to lift it up (without asking) and says, "whats this?" pointing to my holster. I reply "My holster, did you not just see me take out my pistol and put it in the safe?"
"No I didn't, but I dont think you can have that on in here anyway"
I ignored her and went to the elevator. After I was done and back downstairs at the lobby I waved to the marshal who quickly let me get my gun back and said under his breath so nobody else could hear, "It's nice to see a ordinary person carrying a gun, I wish more people would"

So anyway bottom line is if you are open carrying (or concealed)they will lock your weapon up for you if you have a concealed permit, they have to write the number on the receipt ...no concealed permit and you must return the gun to your car regardless of how you are carrying at the time.

[Emphasis added by shad0wfax]

Click to expand...

Here's what RCW 9.41.300 has to say about that:

[SNIP]
In addition, the local legislative authority shall provide either a stationary locked box sufficient in size for pistols and key to a weapon owner for weapon storage, or shall designate an official to receive weapons for safekeeping, during the owner's visit to restricted areas of the building. The locked box or designated official shall be located within the same building used in connection with court proceedings. The local legislative authority shall be liable for any negligence causing damage to or loss of a weapon either placed in a locked box or left with an official during the owner's visit to restricted areas of the building.

[SNIP]

Click to expand...

So, they're absolutely allowed to have no lock-boxes and instead use things like designated officials (marshalls with evidence bags) or communal safes only the officials have access to. They don't have to give you your own locker with key, so long as they provide a storage service for you with a designated official for safekeeping, etc.


Now, as far as the part about requiring a CPL to store such a weapon and not allowing you to store a weapon there if you don't have a CPL...

That's not in accordance with state law. You are not required to have a CPL to carry a firearm openly and the word conceal never appears in 9.41.300 in any context, whether carried or in the context of a CPL.

The only thing I can think of is that if it's loaded and inside of their safe, then they have concealed it and if you don't have a CPL, then they've just concealed your firearm and stored it somewhere for you in concealment. They may be just playing CYA games worried about loaded weapon storage and they don't want to be liable for unloading your weapon and they don't want you alarming people by unloading it there in the building... I think that's incorrect anyhow. I think as an LEO or designated LEO official they'd be allowed to conceal a loaded weapon in a safe and store it for you. Likewise, so long as you were behaving in a safe manner and not threatening others, it would not be at a time and a place, in a manner, or under circumstances that would warrant alarm for the safety of others or manifest an intent to intimidate others if you were to unload your firearm prior to storage. (RCW 9.41.270 stuff)

Thus, I think they're being overly cautious about the storage of a firearm without a CPL and are actually acting contrary to state law.

State law does not require you to have a CPL to use court-provided secure storage.

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NavyLT wrote:

I just don't see anywhere in the discourse above anything that would indicate they think a CPL is required.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I didn't see it in the SNOHO court house discourse, nor is it ever mentioned in 9.41.300. They may have implied (or stated) that policy to him in person while he was at the court-house, but the poster didn't post it in the conversation as a quote.

imported post

NavyLT wrote:

tat2ed_guy wrote:

The following is something that was postedon another site. Can they require you to have a CPL to check in your firearms regardless of how you carry?



SNOHO court house
xxxxxxxxx» Tue Aug 25, 2009 3:09 pm

So you used to go in the side door of the court house and they had a bank of lockers that you put your weapon in and dropped a quarter in the slot so you could take a key, before you went thru the metal detectors. So the other day I was there and told the main entrance was the one to use now, so I did.
NO LOCKERS!!!! and the metal detector is only 3 feet from the door on the inside. So I just stood there, not knowing if I should walk back to my truck and toss my gun under the seat or just continue to look stupid and block people behind me from entering the building. One little girl from the rental security agency sitting behind a desk asked me what the problem was.
I said " I cant go thru there with my weapon on" pointing at the big metal detector. Others in line behind me kinda froze at this.
"No problem," she said, " I will get the marshal"
So this marshal comes over, lets me walk around the metal detector and asks me to put my weapon in this little safe about 2 ft by 2 ft and writes me a receipt. Then I have to go back thru the metal detector, which beeps and the same little rental chick wands me with a hand held which beeps also and she grabs my shirt to lift it up (without asking) and says, "whats this?" pointing to my holster. I reply "My holster, did you not just see me take out my pistol and put it in the safe?"
"No I didn't, but I dont think you can have that on in here anyway"
I ignored her and went to the elevator. After I was done and back downstairs at the lobby I waved to the marshal who quickly let me get my gun back and said under his breath so nobody else could hear, "It's nice to see a ordinary person carrying a gun, I wish more people would"

So anyway bottom line is if you are open carrying (or concealed)they will lock your weapon up for you if you have a concealed permit, they have to write the number on the receipt ...no concealed permit and you must return the gun to your car regardless of how you are carrying at the time.

Click to expand...

I just don't see anywhere in the discourse above anything that would indicate they think a CPL is required.

Click to expand...

The very last paragraph is where it says it. Mind you this is what another party was stating. I dont know what the actual conversation was. I am aware of the codes regarding the lock boxes or an official to take custody. Im was just wondering about the statement at the bottom.

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It sounded to me like it either was a misunderstanding of what was said or the security girl didnt know what she was talking about. But either way I thought I would ask.