Cook County Courthouse Electronics Ban Starts Monday
From the Chicago Tribune
A crackdown on cellphones and other electronics in Cook County criminal courthouses begins Monday at the busiest criminal court facility in the country.
The ban on smartphones, computer tablets and other electronic devices takes effect Monday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building at 26th Street and California Avenue.
The hard-line policy was set to begin in January, but Circuit Chief Judge Timothy Evans delayed its implementation for three months after critics attacked the plan.
After the announcement last December, other county officials appeared caught by surprise by the change and expressed concern mostly about a shortage of kiosks for cellphone storage. Evans offered the three-month grace period to work out those kinks.
At the criminal courthouse at 26th and California, three cash-operated vending machine-style units, each able to hold 60 cellphones — at a cost of $3 a pop — have been set up, said sheriff's spokeswoman Eleni Demertzis.
The spokeswoman said the sheriff's office has no idea what to expect Monday at 26th and California.
"We're just hoping that the word gets out" about the ban, Demertzis said.
Deputies will not allow anyone with a cellphone inside the courthouse once the storage space runs out, she said.
Read more in our daily News Update...
From the Chicago Tribune
A crackdown on cellphones and other electronics in Cook County criminal courthouses begins Monday at the busiest criminal court facility in the country.
The ban on smartphones, computer tablets and other electronic devices takes effect Monday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building at 26th Street and California Avenue.
The hard-line policy was set to begin in January, but Circuit Chief Judge Timothy Evans delayed its implementation for three months after critics attacked the plan.
After the announcement last December, other county officials appeared caught by surprise by the change and expressed concern mostly about a shortage of kiosks for cellphone storage. Evans offered the three-month grace period to work out those kinks.
At the criminal courthouse at 26th and California, three cash-operated vending machine-style units, each able to hold 60 cellphones — at a cost of $3 a pop — have been set up, said sheriff's spokeswoman Eleni Demertzis.
The spokeswoman said the sheriff's office has no idea what to expect Monday at 26th and California.
"We're just hoping that the word gets out" about the ban, Demertzis said.
Deputies will not allow anyone with a cellphone inside the courthouse once the storage space runs out, she said.
Read more in our daily News Update...