Skip to main content

Office of Court Security

The Office of Court Security is committed to providing professional security services to the courts of Ohio in order to maintain the integrity of the judicial process and ensure the safety of those who work in or visit court facilities.

The following is a partial list of some of the services that may be provided by the Office of Court Security, upon request.

  • Assist county and local courts by conducting comprehensive court security surveys and site surveys
  • Assist county and local courts in the development of emergency and security procedures
  • Provide assistance in the operational planning and coordination for high-risk or sensitive trials
  • Security education for new Judges and their families
  • Conduct checkpoint screening training

Rules of Superintendence, Sup. R. 9 and Appendix C

Occasionally, the Office of Court Security acquires used screening equipment. This equipment is available to Ohio courts for permanent placement.

NO USED EQUIPMENT IS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. PLEASE CHECK THIS WEB SITE REGULARLY FOR FUTURE EQUIPMENT AVAILABILITY.

A portable walk-thru metal detector is available at all times for short-term loan. At this time no x-ray equipment is available for loan.

If you have any questions or would like to request the use of the portable walk-thru metal detector, please send an e-mail to: courtsecurity@sc.ohio.gov

Court Facilities Standards (Rules of Superintendence, Appendix D) - Recommended standards pertaining to building construction, safety, security, and access control

Ohio.gov
Official website for the state of Ohio

www.ready.gov
US Homeland Security site that provides information on emergency planning for home and family – lots of checklists

National Center for State Courts
The National Center for State Courts promotes the rule of law and improves the administration of justice in state courts and courts around the world

Ohio Department of Public Safety
Includes Emergency Management Agency and Ohio Homeland Security

U.S. Marshals Service
U.S. Marshals site covering protection of the Judiciary

City of Columbus weekly flu update
Columbus Public Health and Franklin County Public Health information on flu and flu-like illnesses

Frequently Asked Questions

There is no one single plan or method for securing a facility and ensuring the safety of those who work or visit that facility. However, there are several steps that can be taken to increase the security of a facility.

First, an honest assessment of the current security posture is necessary to evaluate and to give direction to your overall security plan. The Office of Court Security may provide professional assistance in performing these security evaluations at no cost to your facility.

Second, it must be determined what standards should be in place to ensure a secure environment. The Committee on Court Security has made recommendations on the minimum Court Security Standards, which should be reviewed by each court.

Finally, improvements should be made to all relevant policies, procedures, and equipment that has been identified as a weak area of your overall security plan.

No. Effective Jan. 30, 2001, it is no longer required for courts to maintain and report all security-related incidents; however, it is strongly recommended that each court record and maintain these incident reports for their own use.

To schedule a comprehensive court security survey, please contact Court Security at 614.387.9905 or by email at courtsecurity@sc.ohio.gov.

For all other questions or concerns contact Chelsey Stillwell at 614.387-9906 or by email at Chelsey.Stillwell@sc.ohio.gov.

It remains illegal to carry or attempt to carry a firearm, dangerous weapon or any other dangerous ordinance into a courthouse or any building that contains a courtroom, pursuant to the Ohio Revised Code (R.C. 2923.123). Additionally, signage shall be posted in a conspicuous location that clearly makes this known to visitors (R.C. 2923.1212)1. A copy of such a sign may be printed off from the Ohio Attorney General's Web site.

Contact Information

Office of Court Security
Supreme Court of Ohio
65 South Front Street
Columbus, OH 43215-3431

Director:
Ryan Fahle

Word files may be viewed for free with Office Online.
PDF Files may be viewed, printed, and searched using the Free Acrobat® Reader. Acrobat Reader is a trademark of Adobe Inc.