Link to this article wouldn't work yesterday and seems to have been removed today. Here is a summary of the contents.
Jeff
Jan 1 2001 Bucks County Courier Times
Article - Thousands of weapons Seized at courthouse by John Corcoran
jcorcoran@calkinsnewspapers.com
The focus is on the variety of weapons seized at the Montgomery County courthouse in Norristown, Pa (a neighbor of Philadelphia). Sheriff John Durante is speaking. He explains "If they're not contraband then they're given back." (Jeff - that is a reference to the sometimes vague state and county laws dictating what is prohibited and not)
The sheriff explains that some items left behind or labelled as contraband include butter knives, forks, leg irons, throwing knives, pink handled Phillips screwdriver, shotgun shell and a blackjack.
Durante said "In one case a guy brought in a shillelagh." The sheriff went onto to explain that he had never seen one before and "I can't even pronounce it right. The guy said it wasn't a weapon."
The writer goes onto describe a shillelagh and observe that "anyone who has taken a crack from one across the leg can attest that is is certainly a weapon."
Durante said another person brought in what appeared to be a wooden tomahawk (Jeff = unless it had a metal head or was prominently displayed, the courthouse detectors shouldn't have caught this one - unless they now have x-ray machines).
Durante notes that between 20 and 25 people are stopped every month with guns.
The sheriff said that owing a gun permit does not allow legal owners to bring their weapons into the court. He adds that many such folk are coming into renew those permits.
Durante explains box cutters used for work and keychain penknives are also seized.
The sheriff explained that " A lot of times people use scissors on their job and they just don't think...How big do you need a weapon to be to kill you, especially if it's a knife and you could cut someone in the neck or another vital place?"
He elaborates that " This is the importance of security at the courthouse. What's to say a person coming in here for a civil case or whatever won't get into a scuffle and use that?"
As for defense sprays, Durante said "That could incapacitate a deputy and keep them from doing their job"
Durante finished off by saying one fellow was caught bringing a metal marijuana pipe into the courthouse. "He didn't go to jail. We wrote him a non-traffic violation. It cost him $300 and his name in the paper. It was dumb."
