Tulsa County Judges Train With Firearms

Several Tulsa County judges were at the range on Thursday shooting, pistols, a rifle and an AR-15.

The sheriff's office wants to make sure those judges who want to carry guns have access to expert, individualized training.

The point of having the Tulsa County judges out there shooting is twofold. The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office wants to show the judges their new range, and they also want the judges to feel comfortable handling guns if they choose to carry them at work, which by law, they can."

The judges ranged in gun experience from those who have shot before and were pretty comfortable handling the different firearms and a good shot to those who were firing a gun for the very first time in their lives.

The one thing they do have in common is a dangerous job.

Sitting on the bench presiding over court cases puts judges in the center of a hotbed of emotions, whether it's a murder case or the protective order docket or even when people learn their property is going to be seized. You never know how people will react in a courtroom.

And just two years ago, a man fired shots right outside Tulsa's courthouse doors.

"One of my courtroom deputies was injured when he was shot in the hand and another of my deputies actually shot the bad guy,” Tulsa County Judge Kurt Glassco said. “The answer truly is, if you have a bad guy with a gun, you need a good guy with a gun."

Judges are citizens like everyone else, and the law says all citizens have a right to defend themselves. And for those judges who do carry on the job, their clerks and staffs can feel good knowing the judges have had expert training on how safety and proper handling.

They all agree having 55 deputies working courthouse security makes them all feel safer.

"We have plenty of court security but obviously, we cannot be at every place at every moment in the day, so the judges are here for the training,” TCSO Capt. Bill McKelvey said.