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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Stoffa: Courthouse Security Getting Too Lax

Looks like I'll be getting those body cavity searches again. They tickle.

Northampton County Executive John Stoffa is concerned that courthouse security is too relaxed. Chief offenders appear to be most of us who work here. We tend to forget our judges are very vulnerable, especially when they try cases involving gang members.

Here's the text of Stoffa's memo to President Judge McFadden, which I found while propping open a doorway to sneak across the street for a fat-free cannoli.


"Today, I learned that a door was left opened in the cafeteria. No one seems to know how it became unlocked. Someone entered the building through this door who apparently, was not a County employee. Moreover, I also learned that we have Sheriff's Deputies that are using a 3rd door on the 7th Street side of the building simply because they have keys and it is closer to their office. There are also instances that I personally have witnessed where someone props the door open on the basement side of the building beneath the employee entrance. I now understand that the detectives may be requesting permission to use an additional entrance into the building and are requesting keys to do so.

"For the record, I want to state that I am opposed to any ingress and egress to the Courthouse other than the employee and rotunda entrances. Since established, our security has been slowly compromised and we are getting more careless as time goes by. Should an unfortunate event occur, I'm not sure how we would defend it. Does anyone really know the number of employees who currently have keys?

"Should you wish to discuss this further, please let me know. I hope that we can all come to a mutual decision on this most important issue."

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Does this mean Boonie has to wear clothes (womens) to pass the test to get in the courthouse, because he has no BALLS?

Bernie O'Hare said...

First of all, I want to thank you for all those smears. They really make Dertinger and McHale look pathetic. You do more damage than I could do.

As for having no balls, you'll see my name next to my posts and comments. You, on the other hand, are an anonymous coward afraid to identify yourself. God, you're even afraid of a person who you think wears women's clothing. What does that say about you?

Anonymous said...

Get ready I understand Long has you targeted. Also an interesting rumor. It was told to me that actually some Team Dert folks were pretending to be big Heckman guys for months knowing you would get pissed at Heckman to take heat off A. McHale. If that is the case they are a far sneakier bunch than I imagined.
Stoffa may even be aware of this. Apparently team Long are no big fans of heckman and wish he would just go away.

Bernie O'Hare said...

All this attention being paid to lil' ol' me? I'm flattered.

I must say you have an interesting theory and I've been getting reports about the people being assigned to try to disrupt this blog w/ inane remarks. But what they are really doing is hurting themselves.

I always liked Ron Heckman and could not understand his goofy supporters so I guess I was being played.

Shame on me.

michael molovinsky said...

bernie, i'm going to take advantage of these off topic remarks to make my own. this morning, shortly after 5:00 am, villa has been trolling around making his usual comments. both the photo's of you and myself which recently appeared on the villa blog were taken at a chen art gathering; bloggers and writers were encouraged to participate. yesterday, the morning call published my blog about unions, it resulted in a spirited, civil discourse on the topix forum. however, villa inserted several comments which were nothing more than his usual insults directed at me. it occurs to me that this is vandalism. it is not much different in intent than taking a fog horn to a concert of a musician you don't like, or defacing a painting.

Anonymous said...

I agree. Everyone including employees should pass through the main entrance when entering the building. Any employee at any time could go POSTAL.

No one should be able to bypass the security.

Anonymous said...

Bonie O'Hara is the number one security risk in the courthouse. This is especially true if you catch him in a public restroom after riding his bike from his Angle paid for falt in Nazland. Also, the courthouse is in danger because Bonie uses the Recorder of Deeds office as his own personal news room for this blog. But you won't here that from Stoffer.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Thanks you for your comment, Charles Dertinger.

My Nazareth flat is not paid for by Angle, who is too cheap. Several 27 year old women do that, and they insist on sexual favors in return.

As far as blogging goes, there is no computer acccess from anywhere inside the courthouse for the likes of me, although I can chechk my email at a public PC in the law library. You sound like you have pull. See what you can do about getting Internet access at the recorder's office.

Anonymous said...

I'll digress to the topic. Those who remember the Georgia shooting a few years ago should understand the importance of courthouse security. Judges should demand zero tolerance. Who is supposed to be watching this stuff?

Bernie O'Hare said...

I think courthouse security is generally good, but Stoffa is right to warn about getting too lax. It is more or less the combined responsibility of the judges and exec. The judges have the ultimate authority when it comes to courthouse security.

Anonymous said...

I hear the Allentown PD is now using Human sized targets that look like Bernie on their firing range!

Patrick M. Coughlin, Attorney at Law said...

I don't know if it's the case in Pa, but here in California, judges are permitted to carry concealed weapons UNDER THEIR ROBES (insert terrible puns where they aptly apply). To quote an unnamed bay area (that's right, San FRANCISCO bay area) judge: "The sewn-in holster [to the robe] was one of the best advancements in the legal system in the last 10 years."

All ridiculousness aside, courtroom safety is a very serious matter. Having seen clients flip out, attack guards, and try to get to the court brings a tragic sense of realism to the practice of law.

Some of it is simple planning, though. I can cite to at least half a dozen instances where my primary fear has been, "Whoa. The dumbasses decided to sit that guy (gang member and/or crazy person acting as an agent of Satan) NEXT TOO that guy (rival gang member and/or crazy person acting as an agent of Jesus Christ)?!

It's also scary because they let recently admitted lawyers in to court, too. *Shudders*

Bernie O'Hare said...

Patrick, Sounds like you need combat pay. Try sitting alone in a very tiny room with an admitted murderer whose eyes look right through you. And those are our DAs!

Anonymous said...

bernie maybe you shouldnt chalk doors open your not helping the cause. and maybe the county should open their wallets and install better doors/locks for the exterior doors. stoffa has nobody to blame but himself....by the way with this article...isnt he running for relation??? hmm?? sure we will be hearing alot of this crap until its settled. Mr. Stoffa blame yourself for turning your head on these issues until now when you want to be our county exec again.

Anonymous said...

Annon 8:01

What in Blue Hell are you talking about ???????

Bernie O'Hare said...

I weas thinking the same thing. Something about me being a jerk and something about it all being Stoffa's fault.