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Thursday, January 05, 2012
Ind. Courts - "St. Joe. Courthouse cell phone ban met with surprise"
Recall the stories several years back on the Allen County cellphone ban? See, for instance, this ILB entry from March 28, 2008 commenting on the reactions to the 2007 ban.
As I read this long story today by Mary Kay Malone in the South Bend Tribune, I thought -- "I might be reading the Allen County story with the name changed; the reactions are exactly the same!" From today's story:
SOUTH BEND -- A new ban on cell phones at St. Joseph County courthouses has caught many people by surprise, causing some to store the phones in unusual places while they attend court hearings.This week, people have been placing their phones on the building's ledges, behind snow piles, even in a trash can.
"(The phones) can't come in here," said St. Joseph County police Lt.Ron Gerkey, who worked security at the main courthouse's front entrance on Wednesday. "We can't hold them. So if people want to hide them, stash them, give them to a friend, keep them outside, that's fine."
The new rule took effect on Tuesday, and prohibits the public from bringing any electronic device -- including cell phones, iPads, iPods -- inside St. Joseph County courthouses.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on January 5, 2012 10:34 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts