We have Laura's Law, CARE court, yet for the third time this week, the Humboldt Courthouse is where abusive behavior and mental health issues are interfering with HCSO business and public safety

(HCSO main station ground floor)

I was on the second floor of the Courthouse this morning checking on court cases and waiting for Courtroom 3 to open.

10:16 a.m. Heard HCSO Sgt. Josh Comer and saw four other bailiffs talking to a guy who was standing by the court calendars for Courtrooms 6 to 8.  If what he said is accurate, then he broke the court rules if he videotaped on the 2nd floor. I could not see with the deputies around him. Nor was I going to walk over in the middle of a situation HCSO is trying to take care of while courtrooms are in session.

Sgt. Comer was talking calmly, answering the guy's questions. Sgt. Comer does a great job of managing the courtrooms and Courthouse security. If I was in charge of funds, I would double his pay.

I wanted to laugh when Sgt. Comer said, "There are cameras and video all over." Not because it was funny but because the guy threatening to film the deputies or saying he was videotaping didn't have the flex he thought he had. If anything, the cameras  on the second floor would back the deputies. Unfortunately, the second floor cameras do not have audio as I recently learned or maybe video provided in that one instance did not which defeats the point of recording by the courts.

The guy who was speaking did not exhibit any obvious mental health issues on the second floor other than ranting angrily.

"Maybe I will start a Citizens Review Board"

"Maybe I will federal...inaudible"

"I want to talk to a Superior, a Captain, the Sheriff."

These are not exact quotes. I did not have a pen and paper out and did not want to set the guy off further. I can't photograph or take video on the 2nd floor hallway without permission and this wasn't a planned event.

A few minutes later, the guy went down to the HCSO main station on the ground floor. I was on my way out of the building and since there are no restrictions, I took a photo. Now all of a sudden, he was mumbling gibberish and talking to himself.

He has been in and out of the Courthouse at least 4 times today. He seems fine. Found out he is from Smith River, wants to put in a request for court video for an incident that did not happen here. I want to see what happens. Getting video from the courts here for what occurred in Humboldt Superior Court is like Fort Knox; let alone video that does not exist.

Whether he has mental health issues or that is an act, is for a qualified professional to determine. Even if he does; our law enforcement, people who work at the Courthouse and the public deserve to be safe.

The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors need to work with Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal and Humboldt Superior Court administration to come up with a policy. Public access does not mean you get to be abusive and endanger others. Court admin also needs to have a policy/exception where if someone is being threatened, they can record. The deputies who work on the second floor and Courthouse security  have a very tough job and they do not get paid enough.

If you are one of those California enablers, take any of the three people I wrote about this week or the many out on Eureka streets home. I am not interested in your comment because you are not the daily target of the abusive, unprovoked behavior. The Courthouse, coffee shops and businesses are not mental health facilities.