In this screenshot of security footage from the Lewis County Courthouse, Kodey Howard, wearing the solid-colored jail garb, and Tanner Jacobson, wearing the striped jail garb, make a run for the door in Lewis County District Court.
Lewis County is taking the final steps to bring aboard a security guard at the Law and Justice Center, with the long-discussed position slated to become official sometime this spring.
On Monday, county commissioners voted to set pay for the position — a “casual employee” designation — at $25 an hour, not to exceed $40,000 a year. County manager Erik Martin said some paperwork items are still working their way through county departments, but the addition is pretty much finalized.
“The commissioners have given the nod and I also have approved it, so for intents and purposes it’s going forward,” he said. “It should be pretty soon.”
Martin said the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office is putting together a uniform for the courthouse guard that’s different from the agency’s normal uniforms. With the number of hours that the security officer is projected to work, Martin said annual pay is expected to come in around the “low 30s,” with additional costs for uniforms.
“We think the $40,000 should more than cover it,” he said.
The security issue at the courthouse took center stage last fall when district court judge R.W. Buzzard chased and tackled a prisoner who fled from a district court hearing — with a fellow escapee tracked down a few blocks away. A corrections deputy was in the courtroom at the time, but could not give chase, as other inmates remaining needed to stay under watch.
“I think this is better than what we currently have,” Sheriff Rob Snaza told The Chronicle last month, when the new security position was first brought forth. “I don’t want to take anything from our current security system, but I think it does need to be more robust, and this is a way to address a lot of the concerns that the judges have brought to our attention.”
Superior Court Judge James Lawler also said the added security is essential, calling the current system unsustainable.
“It’s a matter of time,” he said. “This is not if something is going to happen. It’s when something is going to happen.”
Snaza told The Chronicle in February that he has a candidate in mind, but wouldn’t reveal the potential new guard until terms are finalized. The security officer could remain in courtrooms during volatile hearings, but also patrol the Law and Justice Center or Historic Courthouse during lulls in the action.
•••
Chronicle reporter Cody Neuenschwander contributed to this story.
