Judge Kelly Benjamin
Bartholomew County’s judges are asking the county council to add security for their courtrooms after a series of threats and incidents.
Bartholomew Circuit Judge Kelly Benjamin, Superior Court 1 Judge James Worton and Superior Court 2 Judge Jon Rohde are requesting an armed security officer be present in each of their courtrooms at all times when court is in session.
The hiring of three additional security officers would cost about $208,606 from mid-July until the end of this year, county officials estimated. Starting next year, the annual salary and benefits would run a maximum $416,613 annually. However, those figures still need to be checked and verified. There are already two recently-retired law enforcement officers prepared to accept those jobs, Bartholomew County Sheriff Chris Lane told the council.
All three judges told the council they have received personal threats on multiple occasions.
“On April 19, I was told a person who was unhappy with me was on the way to the courthouse to shoot me,’ Benjamin said. The threat kept the courthouse on lockdown for six hours.
Threats were also made against Benjamin’s husband and children, she said. Police kept officers outside the judge’s home for several days after the April incident. Security was also assigned outside her husband’s place of employment on the day of the threat, the judge said.
“And this was all from a family law case where a person didn’t like my decision,” Benjamin said.
Benjamin, Worton and council attorney Chris Monroe, who is a former Superior Court 1 judge, said some of the angriest defendants are involved in divorces, evictions and child custody cases.
Worton said a recent threat on his life by a defendant resulted in criminal charges being filed, along with a no contact order being issued.
Rohde told about the latest security threat, which happened Monday. Rhode had just ordered defendant Trevin LittleJohnto jail for breaking terms of his probation when the 35-year-old defendant ran out a courtroom door, Rohde said.
After he scuffled with a security officer and probation officer near the third floor stairwell, LittleJohn fled down the stairs to the second floor. That’s where another struggle took place near an area often used by children and parents in juvenile court, Benjamin said. Juvenile court was not in session, Benjamin said.
Worton, a former Columbus police chief, and one of his court reporters heard the struggle in the hallway, came out of the courtroom and assisted in the capture of LittleJohn, who was brought into submission with a stun gun, Rohde said.
“Judges should not have to take on security challenges themselves,” Worton said. “Our focus must be on testimony, evidence, arguments and witness demeanor.”
Rohde said he believes that if an officer were inside his courtroom near the second entrance, the very least that would have happened was that LittleJohn would have been confined to the courtroom,” Rohde told the council. “It would not have spread into the hall, down the stairs and onto the second floor.”
He also brought up other dangerous situations that were first explained to the council in February. One involves a court reporter who asked for security personnel, but was told none were available. There have also been numerous times when defendants had to be held by civilian staff members while waiting for a security detail to arrive, Rohde said.
He also talked about prisoners who managed to hide in areas of the courthouse because no security officer was available. Rohde expressed his concern about a recent protest regarding a criminal court hearing outside the courthouse. One of the participants had an AR-5 semi-automatic rifle strapped to himself, the judge said.
While it has been three years since the judges first brought the need for additional courthouse security before the council, Benjamin said their request keeps getting delayed.
The judges and council said during a February work session they would consider additional security the following month, but the March meeting was canceled. The judges expected to be on the agenda for May, but Benjamin said agendas were only handed out to those at the meeting. She said there was no time to review the agenda and the public did not even seem to be aware of the meeting.
The council also received proposed 2024 budget directives during that meeting from council president Jorge Morales. On the matter of court security, one directive suggests that both Worton and Benjamin reduce their respective staff and budgets to fund additional security. The suggestion was made after Rohde decided to not fill a vacant staff position in his court in order to hire hire one more security officer, Benjamin said.
“The directive is really to fire two necessary court staff positions with no thought of how it will affect our ability to efficiently and effectively give public access to the courts at a time when we are still working our way out of a backlog (from COVID-19),” Benjamin said. “A choice between security and running your offices efficiency makes no logical sense, and is a clear misunderstanding of the serious nature we have before us every single day.”
Benjamin explained her court had over 12 jury trials within a year that took up 38 days.
“That’s the most I’ve ever heard of in this county – ever,” the Circuit Court judge said. “Jury trials require more staff preparation than a normal docket. “
Another directive that asks the judges to provide a plan to reduce services at the Bartholomew County Youth Services not provided by other Indiana counties was criticized by the judge. Benjamin said if the reductions are not done next year, the council will reduce the Youth Services budget beginning in 2025.
”It sounds like some council members and other county officials are wanting to shut down established services that have worked in this county,” she said. “I’ve sent an email to find out what counties you are basing this on. I expect a response.
When Worton addressed the council, he described the three additional courthouse officers as a vital need.
”We’re concerned about litigants, members of the public, attorneys, current security officers and county employees,” Worton said. “It’s just a matter of time before someone is seriously injured as a result of having inadequate security personnel.
Council member Mark Gorbett says while he supports the requests made by the judge, the jail is legally mandated to have a certain number of corrections officers. If they don’t have that number, there’s no alternative than to take personnel from courthouse security to the jail.
Five new Community Corrections employees have been hired, and eight more candidates are still undergoing a background check, Lane said. But even if all of the eight pass, the jail staff will still be down by three, he said.
The work session ended with an agreement that county officials will come up with solid financial amount for the requested personnel, as well as a funding proposal, when the council meets again in mid-July.
