$100,000 BOND FOR THIS?

[PCGS65]

Man charged with bringing knives to DuPage court

beacon news staff

WHEATON — A 50-year-old Villa Park man was arrested Wednesday after he tried to enter the DuPage County Courthouse with "knife-like" objects, authorities said. Thomas Parker, of the 300 block of Beach Street, was charged with one count of unlawful use of a weapon, a felony, after deputies spotted the items during a routine screening of people entering the courthouse, according to the DuPage County sheriff's office.

A deputy initially spotted a suspicious shadow among the personal items Parker sent through an X-ray machine at about 9 a.m., police said. After searching the man's items, a deputy found four of the objects, made out of Plexiglas.

After interviewing Parker, investigators said they had not determined why he had the knives, police said. Parker was ordered held in the DuPage County Jail on $100,000 bond.

DuPage Sheriff John Zaruba said the county has a "zero tolerance policy when the security of the courthouse may be compromised."

"My deputies try and move people through those screening lines as quickly as possible," Zaruba said in a statement. "But our utmost concern is the safety of the people who visit and work in the courthouse every day."
11/19/05

First thing, I have not been in a court room/house for a long time. I always thought the metal detectors were for if you had something that was not allowed they would take it at the door then return it to you when you leave.

How things have changed.
I will admit this does sound a little suspicious. Plexyglass knife like objects? Are they or aren't they knives?
A lot of people carry small swiss army knives. You know the ones with tooth pics, scissors ect.
Now would I be arrested for felony unlawfull use of a weapon if I forgot I had one in my pocket and tried to enter a court house? Then have a $100,000 bond?
Then lose my right to have a gun?
Just think if you tried to enter a court house with your CCW.

 

[Preacherman]

Actually, this sounds like a good arrest to me. Working in prisons as I've done for several years, one gets a sense of what to look for. Inmates (and those from outside trying to smuggle in weapons) often make "shanks" (homemade knives) out of plastic, or plexiglass, because they won't set off metal detectors. If this guy was bringing in four (FOUR!!! ) "shanks" made of Plexiglass, it can only have been to smuggle them to inmates held inside, or use them in some illegal fashion. I'd have arrested him too...

 

[Jeff White]

The article is pretty vague about wat was found. But I would guess that they were something like the CIA letter opener that they sell. A fiberglass filled plastic boot knife. If thats what he had, the felony charges probably stem from the fact that those things are marketed as a way to defeat metal detectors.

I'm surprised they caught it. Around here the people at the doors of the courthouse aren't always the brightest available. I had some report to take to the states attorney's office a while back. Went into the one accessable door, showed the woman at the metal detector, who I didn't know, my badge and ID and she waved me around the metal detector...then after noticing my Emerson clip on my pocket, she asked me for my knife. "You can't take that into the courthouse" she said, "I'll hold it". "But my gun is ok?" I asked. She thought about it for a second and said ok go on in. I guess it would have been ok to shoot someone in the courthouse, but stabbings are prohibited .

Jeff

 

[Cosmoline]

Actually, this sounds like a good arrest to me. Working in prisons as I've done for several years, one gets a sense of what to look for.

Preacherman--A COURTHOUSE IS NOT A PRISON! A courthouse is a multi-function public building. To charge an old man with a life-destroying felony because he brings a wee plexiglass "blade like objects" into the building is obscene. The only way I can see it justified is if they have proof he was trying to smuggle the items to a prisoner. Trying to attack a judge or officer in a courthouse with a plexiglass blade would just get you shot and killed.

 

[jsalcedo]

I would need more information and would like to see exactly what they found
before deciding if it was justified.

 

[Old Fuff]

It seems possible he wasn't trying to smuggle anything:

A deputy initially spotted a suspicious shadow among the personal items Parker sent through an X-ray machine at about 9 a.m., police said. After searching the man's items, a deputy found four of the objects, made out of Plexiglas.

The story is lacking in some important details (not unsusal with today's media and reporters). Given the circumstances I wouldn't jump to conclusions, but if he is being held on $100,000.00 bail they should give him an early hearing.

 

[Jeeper]

I would want to see what exactly they are first but:

Purposely bringing 4 objects into a courthouse that cant be seen by a metal detector is a little fishy. Sounds like an attempt to pass something to a criminal to me but then again that is what the court will have to figure out.

 

[wingnutx]

At first glance it looks like he was smuggling shanks into a courthouse. If so, then I'm glad they nabbed him.

 

[LawDog]

I'd like to be sure that these items were literally made out of Plexiglass.

I don't trust the reporter to get the facts straight.

That being said, I don't know of any commerical cutting instruments/knives that are made of Plexi.

To be taking a cutting implement fashioned out of Plexi -- much less four of them -- into a courthouse strikes me as a wee bit odd, and probably worth further investigation.

Around here, smuggling weapons into the courthouse/jail generally nets a bond of between $1,500 and $5,000. $100,000 seems a touch enthusiastic, given the only facts we are supplied.

I'd hope that there's more to this case than what the reporter revealed.

LawDog

 

[CAS700850]

There's one very important bit of information that is absolutely necessary before we can truly comment on the amount of bond at issue here: the man's prior record. Bond is intended to guarantee one's appearance before a court. I've seen very high level felony offenses get a recognisance bond, while I've seen some low level; felonies get very high bonds, like this, because of a history of FTA (Failure to Appear).

As for the crime itself, I don't know, but I can tell you that security at an Ohio Common Pleas Court caught a man trying to smiggle in razor blades. He even put them on the tray, like this guy did. Of course, they were hidden between the battery and body fo his cell phone...

 

[Crosshair]

+1 Cosmoline