WELL, THAT BACKFIRED

Judges to Boycott South Dakota Courthouse That Will Allow Guns Inside

The jurists say letting armed civilians into the building is a safety hazard, not a protection.

A South Dakota county commission that voted to let people bring guns into the courthouse may have shot itself in the foot: The judges plan to boycott the facility. The Rapid City Journal reports that the presiding judge of the 7th Judicial Circuit has drafted an order that says the Custer County courthouse “is currently unsuitable and insufficient due to safety concerns.” Under the order, which has to be approved by a higher court, trials would take place in a different courthouse where guns are prohibited and judges may preside remotely. The commissioner who introduced the pro-gun rule refused to discuss it with the newspaper but has claimed the courthouse would be a target unless civilians could be armed.