DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court has for the first time issued a statewide order prohibiting weapons in courthouses and other public areas used by the state court system.
Chief Justice Mark Cady says in the order released Tuesday that it does not affect peace officers.
It does, however, ban other visitors from carrying weapons into courthouses. The order requires the chief judge in each judicial district to work with local officials to carry out the order in all 99 counties but does not specify how weapons would be detected.
Currently 72 counties prohibit weapons in courthouses but just 10 have airport-like metal detectors at entrances. The court says 27 counties have no known courthouse weapons ban.
Cady says current policies are inconsistent and must be corrected, “to uniformly protect all Iowans.”
