NEWS Kansas Judges throw book at conceal-carry bill

[lukem]

A panel of Kansas judges expressed opposition today to a proposed law that would allow prosecuting attorneys to carry concealed weapons in courtrooms.
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If testimony to the House Judiciary Committee is any guide, the judicial branch takes a dim view of a Senate-passed bill exempting state and federal prosecutors from a prohibition on possession of concealed handguns in courthouses.

"The thought of prosecutors having a concealed gun in our courthouse is not comforting, regardless of training," said Stephen Tatum, chief judge in Johnson County. "Our courtrooms are places for court proceedings without intimidation by either side. A prosecutor with a concealed weapon and open suit coat would soon be known to ... jurors, litigants, attorneys. A fair trial?"

Sedgwick County District Court Chief Judge James Fleetwood, a gun owner and shooting enthusiast, said a sheriff's deputy is required to complete 131 hours of training related to use of handguns in high-stress situations. The eight hours required to obtain a Kansas conceal-and-carry permit is insufficient to prepare a prosecutor to use lethal force in a courtroom, he said.

Fleetwood recalled an incident in Wichita that required a deputy to pull his gun during a courtroom disturbance.

"I do not like to contemplate the potential for disaster if an untrained but good intentioned prosecutor also drew a weapon in an ensuing melee," Fleetwood said.

Blaine Carter, an Alma magistrate judge and legislative chair of the Kansas Magistrate Judge's Association, said prosecutors could do more harm than good by carrying firearms in court.

In some jurisdictions, he said, judges ban law enforcement officers from bringing a weapon beyond the security checkpoint.

"The reason for this rule is very simple," he said. "If a gun is present in the courtroom, it can be taken from the person carrying it and present an immediate risk."

The House committee took no action today on the bill, which passed unanimously 39-0 in the Senate.

Source: The Capital-Journal