RE: COURT SECURITY - PASCO COUNTY

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

Pursuant to Attorney General Opinion 67-28, it is the duty of the sheriff to take care of and to guard and protect juries from all outside communications and influences while deliberating on their verdicts; to appoint deputies to attend upon the terms of the court; and when such deputies are put in charge of juries, the term "bailiff" is applied to them; and

In order to promote the safety and security of all court facilities located within Pasco County; and

In order to assist the chief judge, the circuit court judges, the county court judges and the sheriff in carrying out their respective constitutional and statutory duties, it is

ORDERED:

1. The Sheriff of Pasco 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, bailiffs, and transport officers no person possessing a firearm, knife, mace, pepper spray or dangerous weapon may enter or occupy a courtroom, hearing room or curtilage thereof of the West Pasco Judicial Center.

3. Except for judges, bailiffs, and other law enforcement officers, no person possessing a firearm, knife, mace, pepper spray or dangerous weapon may enter or occupy a courtroom, hearing room or curtilage thereof of the Dade City Courthouse.

4. The Sheriff of Pasco County shall take such reasonable steps as are necessary to ensure that no firearms, knives, mace, pepper spray or other dangerous weapons are possessed by any individuals entering courtrooms or hearing rooms, except as provided above. These steps may include but are not limited to use of 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.

5. Any judge, judicial assistant, court employee, court contract court reporter, employee of the offices of the State Attorney, Public Defender and the Clerks of the Circuit Court for Pasco County, or other county officer or employee utilizing the public entrance to a court facility shall pass through the metal detection devices located at such public entrance.

6. Pasco Administrative Orders 91-64, 91-65, 92-30, 92-31, 92-34, 92-69, 93-13, 93-14, Amended 93-13, 94-58, and any prior administrative memoranda or orders regarding courthouse security in Pasco County are hereby rescinded.

DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers at St. Petersburg, Pasco County, Florida this 28th day of April 1998.

/s/Susan F. Schaeffer
Susan F. Schaeffer, Chief Judge