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Policy of the McLennan County Court Security Committee under Government Code § 74.092(a)(13): subject to each court's rules for its courtroom and offices, no person — public servant or not — may carry or transport a firearm into a courtroom, court offices or court premises except active judicial officers using the courtrooms, the Sheriff and on-duty deputies, and certified peace officers performing official duties; with the Committee's request that the Commissioners Court and Sheriff bar non-authorized public servants from carrying beyond the security checkpoints of the Courthouse and the Bill Logue Juvenile Justice Center, require declaration at the metal detector, post notice, and provide firearm storage lockers.
Applies to everyone entering the courtrooms, court offices and court premises of the McLennan County courts at the McLennan County Courthouse and the Bill Logue Juvenile Justice Center. Procedural information only; not legal advice.
THE McLENNAN COUNTY COURT SECURITY COMMITTEE — PUBLIC SERVANT EXCEPTION FOR LICENSED CARRIERS OF FIREARMS. A. Pursuant to Section 74.092(a)(13) of the Texas Government Code the Committee is authorized to enact security policies and procedures for the Courts. 1. Section 46.03 of the Texas Penal Code prohibits any person from carrying a firearm on the premises of government Courts and court offices, including persons licensed to carry (Gov't Code ch. 411, subch. H); exceptions include "on duty" peace officers (actively discharging their official duties), active judicial officers (Gov't Code § 411.201), and certain authorized county employees, officers and officials. 2. The Office of the Texas Attorney General has accepted the plan of the Commissioners Court providing for the exclusion of firearms from the McLennan County Courthouse. 3. Section 46.15 of the Texas Penal Code allows certain public servants (§ 46.15(a)) enhanced self-protection rights (see the attached list). 4. Each Court within the courthouse retains control over its courtroom and court offices and has enacted rules prohibiting all persons, including public servants who are not on-duty peace officers or authorized County or Court personnel, from carrying a firearm in courtrooms and court offices. B. The Committee requests and recommends that: 1. the McLennan County Commissioners Court and the McLennan County Sheriff adopt a policy that, in view of the findings of the Texas Attorney General and the rules of the local Courts, public servants who are not authorized by local Court rules to possess or carry a firearm into Courts or Court offices are prohibited from possessing or carrying firearms on the premises of the McLennan County Courthouse or the Bill Logue Juvenile Justice Center beyond the security checkpoints; 2. the public servant shall declare the weapon and his/her status before entering the metal detector; 3. notice of such policy be posted and/or given as required by law; and 4. the McLennan County Sheriff install firearm storage lockers where such public servants may securely check firearms until they leave the premises. C. The Committee hereby adopts the following Public Servant Firearm Policy in regard to the Courts and Court offices: subject to the rules adopted by each Court for its courtroom and court offices, no person, whether or not a public servant, who is not listed by this policy statement as an exception shall be allowed to carry or otherwise transport a firearm into a courtroom, court offices or court premises at any time. The exceptions to this policy are: (1) active judicial officers utilizing courtrooms in the McLennan County Courthouse or the Bill Logue Juvenile Justice Center; (2) the McLennan County Sheriff and Sheriff's deputies (when on duty); and (3) certified peace officers acting in performance of their official duties. The difficulties of maintaining security in a century-old Courthouse and each Court's inherent authority over the areas it occupies require adoption of this Policy to protect the rights of everyone involved. Approved by the McLennan County Court Security Committee in 2019 (the day and month are blank in the posted copy), Ralph Strother, Chair. Attached list of public servants (condensed to address likelihood of applicability): (1) peace officers or special investigators; (2) parole officers allowed to carry by state law if engaged in the actual discharge of the officer's duties while carrying the weapon and in compliance with Texas Department of Criminal Justice policies on possession of a weapon while on duty; (3) community supervision and corrections department officers (probation officers) authorized by statute and local administration to carry if engaged in the actual discharge of the officer's duties while carrying the weapon; (4) an active judicial officer as defined by Section 411.201, Government Code, who is licensed to carry a handgun under Subchapter H, Chapter 411; (5) an honorably retired peace officer, qualified retired law enforcement officer, federal criminal investigator, or former reserve law enforcement officer (15 years' service) who holds a certificate of proficiency under Section 1701.357, Occupations Code, and carries the required agency photo identification; (6) the attorney general or a United States attorney, district attorney, criminal district attorney, county attorney, or municipal attorney who is licensed to carry a handgun under Subchapter H, Chapter 411; (7) an assistant United States attorney, assistant attorney general, assistant district attorney, assistant criminal district attorney, or assistant county attorney who is licensed to carry a handgun under Subchapter H, Chapter 411; (8) a juvenile probation officer who is authorized to carry a firearm under Section 142.006, Human Resources Code.
Subject to the rules adopted by each Court for its courtroom and court offices, no person, whether or not a public servant, who is not listed by this policy statement as an exception shall be allowed to carry or otherwise transport a firearm into a courtroom, court offices or court premises at any time.
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-09-07 (completeness fix F3) from the county-site document's text layer read in full. The approval day and month are blank in the posted copy (the site labels it 4_2019), so no effective date is recorded. Bound county-wide (all McLennan County courts); no judge join. Published on the same footing as the Travis County handgun-policy orders (courthouse-premises rules that govern who may enter with a firearm).
9 verbatim requirements from 4th Circuit Administrative Order 1997-10.
6 verbatim requirements from 4th Circuit Administrative Order 1997-13.