Inside the Courthouse
Cody Ewers
Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: Features
A tattered security sign taped to the front door of the Hillsdale County Courthouse reads: "No weapons are permitted in this Courthouse. All persons and parcels are subject to a search for weapons and restricted items as a condition of entry. Persons in violation of this order may be held in contempt of court."
Sparce security
This warning serves as one of the antique courthouse's few forms of security to the 1,500 new cases it handles in an average year.
Court Officer Deputy Gerald Kast is the only active form of human security at the courthouse.
Other than Kast, a court officer for two years, there are a few security cameras, one public entrance and that threatening sign.
Kast said he has never witnessed anything that would raise immediate need for more strict security.
"Nobody has ever gone totally out of control," Kast said. "Hillsdale is basically a good, hard-working community with a conservative base that suffers from a lot of desperation due to hard economic times."
But local lawyer Jim Marks said the lack of security in the courthouse is a major concern for many people in the community.
"If you were to go into a federal court, you can't even take in a cell phone, and you have to get special permission to take a laptop," Marks said. "I go to Lenawee, Branch, Oakland and other county courthouses around Michigan, and they all at least have a metal detector."
Kast said he understands the desire for heightened security but he appreciates how far the courthouse's security has come over the years.
"From where we've been, we've come a long way and made a lot of progress," Kast said.
"I think it would be a good idea to expand on our security system, but that decision is made by someone else."
Rich history
Kast said his relaxed view on the courthouse's security situation stems from his love of the building's heritage.
He said the Renaissance architectural style of the structure, built in 1898, has withstood years of abuse and adds character to the town.
"[Courthouse employees] appreciate the rich history of our courthouse and take a lot of pride in it," Kast said.
"The people of the community love this old building, and we like the appreciation we receive for keeping its originality."
Typical cases
The court handled a spike to 1,772 new cases in 2000 and hasn't dropped below 1,280 since, according to Hillsdale County Circuit Court statistics.
First Circuit Court Judge Mike Smith attributed this jump to the court becoming a Family Court in 2000 and said more than 65 percent of his case load is civil - he deals mostly with family issues like divorce settlements, emancipations, parenting time and personal protection orders.
Hillsdale doesn't witness the big, violent crimes that appear in bigger cities, Smith said.
He said about 95 percent of the criminal cases that begin in Hillsdale usually end by plea bargain, so even if high amounts of criminal activity occur in a particular year, most won't even enter a courtroom.
According to court statistics, of the court's approximately 1,700 yearly cases, 198 on average have been criminal.
Most of those cases were unsettled civil infractions that eventually transferred to felonies.
Marks said he spends most of his time in the courtroom with civil cases and that it is fairly common for these types of cases to dominate in a city of Hillsdale's size.
"Per capita, we're about average as far as that goes," Marks said.
Sparce security
This warning serves as one of the antique courthouse's few forms of security to the 1,500 new cases it handles in an average year.
Court Officer Deputy Gerald Kast is the only active form of human security at the courthouse.
Other than Kast, a court officer for two years, there are a few security cameras, one public entrance and that threatening sign.
Kast said he has never witnessed anything that would raise immediate need for more strict security.
"Nobody has ever gone totally out of control," Kast said. "Hillsdale is basically a good, hard-working community with a conservative base that suffers from a lot of desperation due to hard economic times."
But local lawyer Jim Marks said the lack of security in the courthouse is a major concern for many people in the community.
"If you were to go into a federal court, you can't even take in a cell phone, and you have to get special permission to take a laptop," Marks said. "I go to Lenawee, Branch, Oakland and other county courthouses around Michigan, and they all at least have a metal detector."
Kast said he understands the desire for heightened security but he appreciates how far the courthouse's security has come over the years.
"From where we've been, we've come a long way and made a lot of progress," Kast said.
"I think it would be a good idea to expand on our security system, but that decision is made by someone else."
Rich history
Kast said his relaxed view on the courthouse's security situation stems from his love of the building's heritage.
He said the Renaissance architectural style of the structure, built in 1898, has withstood years of abuse and adds character to the town.
"[Courthouse employees] appreciate the rich history of our courthouse and take a lot of pride in it," Kast said.
"The people of the community love this old building, and we like the appreciation we receive for keeping its originality."
Typical cases
The court handled a spike to 1,772 new cases in 2000 and hasn't dropped below 1,280 since, according to Hillsdale County Circuit Court statistics.
First Circuit Court Judge Mike Smith attributed this jump to the court becoming a Family Court in 2000 and said more than 65 percent of his case load is civil - he deals mostly with family issues like divorce settlements, emancipations, parenting time and personal protection orders.
Hillsdale doesn't witness the big, violent crimes that appear in bigger cities, Smith said.
He said about 95 percent of the criminal cases that begin in Hillsdale usually end by plea bargain, so even if high amounts of criminal activity occur in a particular year, most won't even enter a courtroom.
According to court statistics, of the court's approximately 1,700 yearly cases, 198 on average have been criminal.
Most of those cases were unsettled civil infractions that eventually transferred to felonies.
Marks said he spends most of his time in the courtroom with civil cases and that it is fairly common for these types of cases to dominate in a city of Hillsdale's size.
"Per capita, we're about average as far as that goes," Marks said.
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