CUSTER, S.D. (AP) - The Custer County Commission has agreed to continue allowing members of the public to carry guns into the county courthouse - at least until January, when the state Supreme Court is expected to review the issue.
The commission voted 3-1 last month to allow county workers and the public to carry guns into the courthouse and administration building, but not into courtrooms. Supporters said armed individuals can protect the courthouse from bad actors. But judges opposed the ordinance, citing safety risks.
County commissioners voted Wednesday to keep the ordinance on the books until the Supreme Court weighs in, the Rapid City Journal reported.
Judge Craig Pfiefle, the presiding judge of the 7th Judicial Circuit, filed a proposed order that said judges will appear at Custer County hearings remotely through audio or video feeds, or hearings will take place at the Pennington County Courthouse in Rapid City. All trials for Custer County will be comprised of Custer County jurors but take place in Rapid City.
Tracy Kelley, Custer County state’s attorney, said judges are already appearing via video or audio feed. Any hearing that involves testimony or physical evidence will have to take place at the Pennington County Courthouse since it’s difficult to handle those remotely.
Custer County doesn’t have to worry about jury trials for now since COVID-19 has paused the proceedings across the 7th Circuit, which includes Custer, Pennington, Fall River and Oglala Lakota counties. That order expires Dec. 31.
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