Hawaii court staff
confident of security

The killings at an Atlanta courthouse have heightened awareness at Hawaii courts, but officials here say security officers are highly trained and prepared to respond to similar situations.

"Unfortunately, it can happen at any courtroom at any time," said Mike Gaede, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety. "But we've taken every step we can to ensure the safety and security of the offender and people in the courtroom."

The department employs about 150 deputy sheriffs at Hawaii courthouses.

Gaede said the department is constantly reviewing and upgrading its training in the use of physical and deadly force, including how to respond when someone tries to take away a deputy's weapon.

In the Atlanta case, a defendant on trial for rape at the Fulton County Courthouse apparently overpowered an armed sheriff's deputy who was escorting him to a courtroom, and used the deputy's firearm to shoot a judge and a court reporter. He also shot to death a deputy outside the courthouse.

In general, those who escort defendants in custody or work in the courthouse cellblock here do not carry firearms, for safety reasons, deputies said.

Only those on patrol in the courthouses carry firearms. Likewise, police officers who go to court are required to place their firearms in secured lockers once they enter the building.

Court reporter Brian Faxvog said it is a better situation for court staff. "I think because there aren't visible weapons, I feel safe that the defendant can't take them away," he said.

Court reporters at Circuit Court yesterday said the Atlanta case hit close to home when they heard a court reporter had been shot.

"It makes everybody else aware we're not just a piece of furniture, and can be a target," said one longtime court reporter who declined to be named.

Gaede said that every morning, the deputy sheriffs review a roster of all defendants expected in court that day and make a "risk assessment" to determine whether additional security measures, such as shackles, might be required for a defendant.

The assessments are based on reports from police, the prosecutor, defense attorneys and prison officials. The deputies also consider who might be in the gallery during the proceeding.

Circuit Judge Michael Town, who had more than the usual number of deputy sheriffs in his courtroom yesterday for a murder trial involving four defendants, said he feels secure in his courtroom.

"We've got excellent security here. I'm very confident in my sheriffs, and we work very closely," he said.

He has received three threats in his 25 years on the bench, but they were immediately and appropriately addressed by sheriffs, he added.