Courthouse security, safety is priority for lawmakers after deadly shooting of Washington County judge

Steven Cohen
·2 min read

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — In the wake of the recent killing of a Washington County Circuit Court judge, there is renewed focus on the safety and security of judges and others working in county courthouses.

The County’s courthouse is the center of attention after Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson was fatally shot last month in the driveway of his home.

The county sheriff believes that the gunman was Pedro Argote of Frederick, against whom Wilkinson had ruled in a child custody case on the afternoon of the shooting. Argote was found dead in Williamsport the following week. A medical examiner’s report is pending.

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Sen. Paul Corderman’s (R-Washington County) father was a judge on the Washington County bench in 1989 when a pipe bomb was mailed to his Hagerstown home, exploding and injuring him.

“The bottom line is we need to make sure that we are securing those courthouses, those hallways to provide protection to our public servants,” Corderman said.

Sen. Mike McKay, (R-Washington/Allegany/Garrett Cumberland), said there needs to be increased security at the courthouses.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s Baltimore City or Garrett County, we need to make sure that everybody is safe,” he said.

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McKay supports a bill expected to be introduced during the state’s General Assembly when begins Jan. 1. The legislation would ban having judge’s home addresses from being on the internet. That legislation is modeled after a federal law enacted last year after a New Jersey judge was the target of a shooting at their home.

At a Monday legislative forum in Hagerstown, Del. Brooke Grossman (D-Hagerstown) said there is agreement for a need to fortify court house security

“We’ll come back as a delegation, as a county and as a community to figure out what resources we’re going to need to make that happen,” Grossman said.

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