Courthouse guns need to go away

Last week’s Chronicle front page headline “Commission sticks to its guns on guns” may have been a bit premature based on the reaction it got from the presiding 7th Judicial Circuit Judge Craig A. Pfeifle.
After defying the pleas of two judges and the advice of its own attorney, it appears the Custer County Board of Commissioners has no choice but to reverse gears in its decision to allow guns in the county courthouse. It’s either that or unnecessarily spend county taxpayer money transporting witnesses and jurors to the Pennington County Courthouse in Rapid City for legal proceedings.
Last week Pfeifle made his position official when he issued an “Order Regarding Custer County Courthouse.” It states that the county Ordinance 2020-18 recently adopted by the commissioners “is currently unsuitable and insufficient due to safety concerns for court proceedings.”
The order further states, “All proceedings in which a judge would otherwise be present in the Custer County Courthouse will be held via audiovisual means, or at the Pennington County Courthouse.” It further states that any Custer County jury trial will consist of Custer County residents, “however all trial proceedings will be held in the Pennington County Courthouse.”
This means the cost of transporting Custer County jurors and witnesses to and from the Pennington County Courthouse in Rapid City would be the responsibility of the  county and its taxpayers. This would appear to be both impractical and expensive. We don’t believe our county is that flush with excess cash.
In a meeting with commissioners last month, both Pfeifle and Judge Matt Brown of Custer expressed their solid support of the Second Amendment, but argued that guns allowed in the courthouse would be a safety risk, legal liability and financial burden on taxpayers. Guns  have been allowed in the courthouse for employees.
At their Nov. 5 meeting, the commissioners voted 3-1 on a resolution allowing all people to carry firearms into the courthouse proper, but not into the courtroom or other offices used by the courts. There is a metal detector at the courtroom entrance to make sure this was enforced. (You have to pass through a metal detector to enter the Pennington County Courthouse itself).
We have visited with a number of law enforcement officials recently who say any courthouse is a potentially dangerous place because of the very nature of some court cases where emotions may run high on both sides. Adding guns to this volatile mix, in retrospect, does not seem like a good idea. The judge and county sheriff’s deputies are the only ones allowed to be armed in the courtroom itself.
The commissioners should listen to the people who are on the courtroom bench and others who have to work there during court proceedings. If they see potential danger and insurance liability issues, our commissioners should do all they can to ensure there is a safe courthouse and courtroom work environment. It’s the right thing to do.
We are strong advocates of the Second Amendment right to bear arms, but in this case it seems that discretion and common sense are the better parts of valor. It’s not  unusual for guns to be banned from government buildings like courthouses and schools.
We don’t think most county residents believe continuing this gun fight is worth the effort or additional expense. We don’t believe the judges or county attorney are being unreasonable or attempting to infringe on anyone’s rights.
We urge our county commissioners to rescind Ordinance 2020-18 at their next meeting.