Commissioners appeal mandate
By Heather Mangold
City
Editor
Tippecanoe County commissioners will still appeal
a mandate issued by a county judge in an effort to increase security
at the Tippecanoe County courthouse.
County commissioners held an executive session
on Monday to discuss security issues within the courthouse and informed
the public afterward that the mandate would still be appealed when it
went before the Indiana Supreme Court in coming months.
County Commissioner KD Benson said she felt as
though the appeal was necessary to determine the role that commissioners
play in enforcing any matters involving the courthouse.
"I need it to be clear whether to expect further
mandates on wall color, floor coloring. It could be anything," said
Benson.
County commissioners appealed the mandate after
special judge Raymond Kickbush upheld it in August. The mandate stated
that eight doors could be open in the courthouse, but only if security
checkpoints were implemented at each one.
Commissioner Ruth Shedd said she was disappointed
by Kickbush's decision to uphold the mandate.
"We thought possibly Judge Kickbush didn't take
into consideration some of our testimony that was given," said Shedd.
"We've still gotten feedback from some of the public saying this isn't
fair for one individual judge to tell basically the whole county to
close a public building, and that is what has happened."
Circuit Court Judge Ronald Melichar originally
issued the mandate in 1994. Later that year the Indiana Supreme Court
adopted court security guidelines due to incidents of court-related
violence in counties throughout Indiana.
After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, courthouse
security was increased when public access to the building was limited
to only two entrances. Benson said that, despite the increased security,
the mandate would still be appealed so the roles that commissioners
and judges play within the courthouse will be made clear.
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