Last session, a provision of this bill to prohibit firearms from being brought into a courthouse was included in An Act Modernizing Firearm Laws. The second provision, which I have refiled this session, is a common-sense change empowering court officers to perform their duties to protect the public and court employees. Currently, their enforcement powers only exist within the courthouse, which does not recognize the reality of modern court proceedings or security best practices. The bill will extend these enforcement powers to the courthouse grounds and to outside locations during remote court proceedings.

As we have seen in recent years, the court systems have become a flash point for protests and occasionally violence. Under Massachusetts law, court officers in the Trial Court are significantly limited in their ability to respond and manage these unpredictable situations, even if the danger had reached the courthouse steps. Remote proceedings are also an important part of judicial proceedings in some cases. At these remote proceedings, Court Officers are still the primary entity responsible for the safety and smooth functioning of the court’s business. However, they are limited by law in how they can respond to disturbances that could arise. Expanding their powers for these circumstances will make proceedings safer both at the courthouse and beyond.