Posted on 12/12/2020 4:58:42 AM PST by marktwain
A South Dakota 7th Circuit judge, Craig Pfeifle, has initiated a conflict with the Custer County Board. The Board created an ordinance to allow people to legally carry personal firearms in the County Courthouse, as allowed by law. In effect, the ordinance removes the legal prohibition on people carrying firearms in the courthouse. There have not been any problems.
The ordinance covers the courthouse, not the courtroom. Hearings in the courtroom only occur once a week. When they do, a deputy and metal detector are used to secure the courtroom. The Custer County Courthouse includes a museum type art display open to the public.
The Judge did not like the idea, so he proposes to refuse to serve at the Custer County Courthouse as long as the County Board allows people to carry in the Courthouse. Judge Pfeifle has submitted his order to be reviewed by the Chief Justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court in January of 2021.
The trials across the 7th District are already on hold due to COVID-19 restrictions. From rapidcityjournal.com:
The presiding judge of the 7th Judicial Circuit has written a proposed order saying judges won't appear in Custer County court and trials will take place in Rapid City after the Custer County Commission passed an ordinance allowing guns inside the courthouse.
“Due to the action by the Custer County Commission in adopting ordinance 2020-18, which allows for firearms to be carried in the courthouse, the Custer County Courthouse is currently unsuitable and insufficient due to safety concerns,” Judge Craig Pfeifle wrote in his proposed order.
The commission adopted the ordinance after meeting with Pfeifle and Judge Matt Brown who expressed their opposition and warnings from the Custer County state's attorney that allowing guns
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
Judges want the freedom to act outrageously in their little fiefdoms without fear of consequences. They see it as their right.
They did it in Vermont years ago. And Vermont has Constitutional carry.
This is called the underhanded approach. It is a usurpation of the power of the people to allow guns where they will help preserve the peace.
I would bet dollars to doughnuts the Judge is a liberal Democrat. And he doesn’t give a 4-letter s h about the law or Constitution or 2nd Amendment.
Stupid. If the judge doesn’t feel safe with firearms in the hands of law abiding citizens he should step down. He is obviously biased and cannot perform his duties in a fair and unbiased way. Besides judge, if someone came after you, do you really think they could only get to you at the courthouse? In small town rural America everyone knows who lives where, who goes to which favorite restaurants, where they shop for groceries, walk their dog, etc. Judge, if you anger and mistreat someone to that level, and they want you, they’re going to get you. Flipside of that is, if you’re fair and honest those very same people will be the first to step up and protect you if y’all come across some whack job in your court.
The question is should there ever be a “Gun Free” area.
Courtrooms due to the volatile nature of the appearances probably would be reasonable. The gallery overlooking a state or federal legislator, jails, prisons, Whitehouse, etc.
However, Public buildings as a whole should not.....
What would be nice is lockable public lockers next to security where you could declare and secure weapons before entering the places listed above and pick up your weapon after leaving said space.
How ironic that a judge in “Custer” County would try to pull this BS!
He refuses to do his job until management concedes to his demands.
To be fair, the people allowed this to happen. Much like we have tolerated the usurpation of the law and the Constitution. Government has ceased to be, "by the people, and for the people."
A lot of NON law abiding citizens in courthouses.
I like the headline.
*attempts*
I guess that won’t be going far.
Funny how our constitutional rights always end at the government’s door. Courts, state universities, post offices, etc.
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