IN THE CIRCUIT
COURT, SIXTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
IN AND
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 2003-022 PI-CIR
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RE: COURT SECURITY -
Pursuant to section 30.15(1)(c), Florida Statutes, sheriffs, in their respective counties, in person or by deputy, shall attend all terms of the circuit court and county court held in their counties; and
Pursuant to section 30.501, Florida Statutes, the sheriff may be ordered to provide security to sequestered juries; and
In
order to promote the safety and security of all court facilities located within
In order to assist the chief judge, the circuit court judges, the county court judges and the sheriffs in carrying out their respective constitutional and statutory duties, it is
ORDERED:
1. The Sheriff of Pinellas County shall provide security for all circuit court and county court proceedings, including, but not limited to:
a. all trials and hearings conducted by judges, unless otherwise directed by the judge.
b. all proceedings or hearings of general and special masters, hearing officers, arbitrators and mediators (excluding private arbitrators and mediators), unless otherwise directed by the master, hearing officer, arbitrator or mediator.
2.
Except for judges and bailiffs, no person possessing a firearm, knife,
mace, pepper spray or dangerous weapon may enter or occupy a courtroom, hearing
room or curtilage thereof.
3.
The Sheriff of Pinellas County shall take such reasonable steps as are
necessary to ensure that no firearms, knives, mace, pepper spray or other
dangerous weapons are being concealed by any individuals entering courtrooms or
hearing rooms. These steps may include but are not limited to use of facial
recognition systems, metal detection devices, hand-held electronic scanning
devices, personal or other searches by official law enforcement officers,
pat-down or other search by security officers with consent of the person. If a person refuses the request of a law
enforcement officer to submit to any security measure, the person may be denied
access beyond the security device in the courthouse.
4.
If a person who is entering the courthouse is taken into custody, the
bailiff shall take all reasonable steps to notify the court if such person is a
witness, defendant, victim or attorney in a pending proceeding before the
court. Upon notification from the court
that the person is needed for court proceedings, the bailiff shall follow the
court’s direction. Upon notification
from the court that the person is not needed immediately for court proceedings,
the person may be booked into the jail on an expedited basis and made available
in the pending proceeding as soon as can reasonably be accomplished.
5.
The Pinellas County Department of General Services shall post a notice
outside the entrance to security checkpoints that persons entering the facility
or that portion of the facility are subject to security procedures.
6.
Facial recognition systems shall be operated in such a manner to ensure
that scans which do not produce a match are not retained in the system.
7.
At all court facilities in
8.
Any court contract court reporter, employee of the offices of the State
Attorney, Public Defender and the Clerks of the Circuit Court for
Administrative Order PI-CIR 98-20 is
hereby rescinded.
DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers
at
______________________________
David
A. Demers, Chief Judge
cc: All Pinellas Judges
The Honorable Bernie McCabe, State
Attorney
The Honorable Robert H. Dillinger,
Public Defender
The Honorable Karleen F. DeBlaker,
Clerk of Court,
Susan H. Churuti,
The Honorable
H. Sandra Combee, Director, Court
Services, Pinellas County Clerk’s Office
J. William Lockhart, Courts
Administrator
Captain Clifford Voege, Chief of
Security, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
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