Clash Over 'Courthouse' Word Definition Heats Up Gun Controversy in Texas

In a case that could set a precedent for weapons legislation in the US, Dallas County will decide if it should fight a Texas attorney general’s ruling ordering the removal of all signs in local government facilities stating that guns in those locations are banned.

Last month Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office ruled that the “no guns” signs at the Dallas County government center contradict state law and ordered their removal. If the county fails to comply in 15 days, it will face a lawsuit and fines.

The no-gun signs displayed in multifunction buildings point out that courtrooms are weapons-free zones under state law.

But Assistant Attorney General Matthew Entsminger argued that “not all of the offices located in the government center are courts or offices essential to the operation of the courts.” Entsminger claimed that “the county abused its discretion by seeking to protect areas of the multi-use building that are clearly neither a government court nor offices essential to the court.”

Gun bans at some public facilities in jeopardy after Texas Attorney General ruling. https://t.co/lVKLz7xZcD

— CollinCountyDems (@CollinDems) April 6, 2016

​County commissioners are bracing for a meeting to determine whether the term ‘courthouse’ refers only to courtrooms within a building or to the entire facility. After delineating the term, they will decide whether to appeal the attorney general’s ruling.

“The AG [attorney general] is saying that it’s just the courthouse offices, and our attorneys are saying — based on legislative history — that it’s the entire building,” Mike Cantrell, County Commissioner told WFAA.

The 2003 state law reads that firearms are banned in “any government court or offices utilized by the court,” which, in the view of many, means the entire building.

But after complaints from some local residents that firearms are unlawfully prohibited in government facilities, the attorney general ruled to end the prohibition on firearms at several sites, including in those in McLennan and Brazos counties.

In January, Paxton ruled that firearms carried by those having concealed-carry permits are banned only from “courtrooms and those offices essential to the operations of courts,” triggering the ongoing discussion.

Dallas County officials claim that allowing guns in facilities housing courtrooms would result in an increase in security threats, adding there are over 200 such courtrooms across the state.