Budget constraints or no budget constraints, this just does not make sense. When I worked at the federal courthouse, when we had a big trial with dangerous defendants, we had marshals watching the marshals who were watching the defendants, plus a marshal for the judge, plus one who walked with us law clerks when we had to go in and out of the courtroom . . .
The courtroom must have been stuffy with all those marshals and guards all watching everyone. Could you breathe will all that.
We had a murder (double murder of witnesses against him in a child abuse case) trial in my upstate NY County last week and the defendant was in orange jump suit and shackles. There were 3 to 4 deputies assigned to him in the courtroom and when he was moved 2 to 3 more came in from outside. There seemed to be no question of security being insecure.