Chief justice requests screening personnel

AUGUSTA – Maine Chief Justice Leigh Saufley took her case for bolstered security in the state’s courts to the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

The state has screening equipment that can be used at entries to Maine’s 42 courthouses, but it can’t be used because of a lack of personnel. Maine is the only state in New England and one of just a few nationwide that does not have entry screening at its courthouses.

Maine has but can’t use 28 metal detectors and 10 X-ray machines, which are state-the-art and will not deteriorate from not being used, according to Saufley.

Saufley said that after the money became available for the screening equipment, there was an expectation that the Legislature and governor would find a way to put staff in place to operate the equipment.

“Budget problems got worse than expected,” Saufley said prior to Thursday’s appearance before the Judiciary Committee, which is to meet with the Appropriations Committee on Friday and make its budget recommendations next week.

Saufley has made a number of appeals for more money for courthouse security in recent years. On Thursday she appealed for funding to hire seven or eight security officers to run the screening equipment on a rotating basis at the courthouses.

It would cost about $340,000 to hire the new officers who could rotate throughout the state’s courthouses.

Sen. Peggy Pendleton, D-Scarborough, co-chairwoman of the Judiciary Committee, said there will be cuts to the judiciary budget this year but they won’t be as severe as last year’s.