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Board might ask judge to modify ban on guns in courthouse

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January 16th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Woodbury County supervisors are scheduled today (Tuesday) to consider asking a judge to let the public carry guns into some public areas of the county courthouse in Sioux City. The Sioux City Journal reports that the draft of a letter to Judge Duane Hoffmeyer asks him to eliminate the weapons ban in the public areas but uphold the ban for the second, third and fourth floors, which are considered court-controlled areas. Courtrooms, judge chambers and attorney offices are situated on those floors.

Hoffmeyer issued his order in August, after the supervisors voted to allow guns on county property in an attempt to comply with the state’s newly expanded gun rights law. Hoffmeyer is chief judge for Iowa’s 3rd Judicial District, which includes Woodbury County and 15 other Northwest Iowa counties.