Chief judge: Incident in Milwaukee courtroom underscores the need for more bailiffs

Yahoo

06-02-2025

In any other setting, walking up to someone at a desk may seem pretty innocent.
Not so in a courtroom. And definitely not one with no bailiff on duty.
Milwaukee County court officials are saying what unfolded in Judge Reyna Morales' courtroom last week ended with no one going to jail, but may have reignited discussion over how to better secure Wisconsin's busiest courthouse each day.
For them, it was a wake-up call.
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A person representing a plaintiff in a small-claims case was presenting their case before Morales on Jan. 29. While 'attempting to address the court,' the man approached the dais without permission, Chief Judge Carl Ashley said.
There was no bailiff in the courtroom at the time. The person got close to Morales; he was able to step on a platform between the clerk and the judge
The man didn't appear to issue any threats or make a statement, then he left the courtroom, Ashley said. At some point, he returned and was instructed not to do that again.
'Although (what happened) was grossly inappropriate … it didn't rise to the level of a violent attack on anyone,' Ashley said. 'You don't approach the bench without a judge's permission. There's no reason for that.'
There is a bailiff in Morales' courtroom on most days. On that day, however, the bailiff left the courtroom at 2:30 p.m. A shift change occurred and no one filled in afterwards, Ashley said.
The incident unfolded in the bailiff's absence.
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Ashley said there was discussion about whether to charge the man, but ultimately no charges were filed.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office provides security for the downtown courthouse complex, which is comprised of the County Courthouse, the county Safety Building and the Criminal Justice Facility.
Security there has long been a hot-button topic, one that took on more serious urgency following a courthouse shooting in 2002 that injured a deputy and left a defendant who was trying to escape from custody dead.
Things ratcheted up in the last year as discussion between court and sheriff's officials focused on security staffing levels.
In August, the sheriff's office announced it would no longer use overtime to staff bailiffs in courtrooms, and moved 13 deputies to the court from patrol. That brought the complement of security staff to 90, but fell short of meeting the court's needs.
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Ashley a month later issued an order, one supported by the Milwaukee Trial Judges Association, that called for the sheriff to staff two bailiffs in felony criminal courts, one bailiff in family court and misdemeanor court; and staff other courts as needed.
Sheriff's officials have said the department would allow its employees to volunteer for overtime, but cautioned that if not enough members volunteer to fill shifts, a daily assessment would be made on whether to eliminate specific positions at the courthouse complex.
County Executive David Crowley in September recommended a $1.4 billion budget that would also introduce a $300,000 part-time bailiff pilot program, which would bring back retired deputies to work in the courts on a part-time basis.
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Ashley said while bailiffs serve to protect judges, litigants and court staff, they also have a "calming effect" on court visitors and are trained to deescalate conflict.
"While this incident didn't involve violence ... it reiterates the importance of having deputies in the courtroom to the staffing levels I've requested," Ashley said.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Incident in Milwaukee courtroom underlines courthouse security needs