[Vision2020] Courthouse evacuation

[Jennifer McFarland]

Media Release

To: All media outlets
From: Jennifer L. McFarland
	Public Information Officer
RE: Courthouse evacuation
Date: April 25, 2006


At 11:35 am on 4/25/2006, the Latah County Dispatch Center received
notification from the office of the Court Clerk at Latah County that a
bag-style briefcase or overnight bag had been left in courtroom #1 and that
it was making a "suspicious ticking" noise.  The courthouse was immediately
evacuated and a perimeter was established around the block by Moscow Police
Department and Latah County Sheriff's Office personnel.  The Latah County
Dispatch center, while maintaining radio contact throughout the event, began
their relocation to the remote dispatching site in Moscow.  All county
employees and courthouse patrons and visitors were evacuated from the
building for a period of about twenty minutes, with the exception of jail
personnel and the inmate population.  Due to security procedures, the jail
population was being prepared for relocation to our remote temporary holding
location when the officers and deputies investigating the incident notified
Latah County agencies that the owner of the suspicious bag had been located
and that everything was fine.  Apparently, the owner of the bag had
legitimately been at the courthouse for a scheduled appointment and had left
his bag in the courtroom.  The bag, which was determined to be an overnight
bag contained personal items.  There is no plan to file any charges or to
take any action against the man as no crime was committed.  

We would like to take this time to remind everyone that it is never a good
idea to leave personal items unattended while in a public area.

We also want to extend a sincere thank you to the men and women at Moscow
Police Department for their help in immediately responding to the courthouse
and for helping us investigate the situation.

PIO Jennifer L. McFarland
Latah County Sheriff's Office
Public Information Officer
PO Box 8068
Moscow, Idaho 83843
(208) 882-2216
Fax (208) 883-2281

Truth is the summit of being; justice is the application of it to affairs.
***Ralph Waldo Emerson