WHEREAS, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office is in the process of becoming an Accredited Law Enforcement Agency through the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, Inc.; and

WHEREAS, to provide the public and the employees housed within the Columbia County Courthouse with a safer environment and to comply with the Accreditation guidelines and standards set forth by the Commission, additional security practices are required;

WHEREAS, Rule 2.215, Florida Rules of Judicial Administration, and Section 43.26, Florida Statutes, along with the inherent power of the Court to do all things reasonable and necessary for the administration of justice, the Court finds that it is necessary and reasonable to enact this policy; it is therefore

ORDERED that effective Tuesday, September 11, 2018, the following procedures will be mandatory for all visitors of the Columbia County Courthouse:

1. Between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays or as necessary on weekends, all visitors will be required to walk through the magnetometer.
2. All items brought into the courthouse are subject to be scanned through the x-ray machine.
3. No food or drinks will be permitted within the courthouse.

The above procedures will not apply to employees of the Clerk of Court, Public Defender, State Attorney, or Court Administration if the employee’s official identification card is visible and he or she is not entering the courthouse for personal business, in which case the aforementioned screening procedures must be followed.

DONE AND ORDERED in Columbia County, Florida on August 30, 2018.