> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Feeling insecure at SM Courthouse
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/feeling-insecure-at-sm-courthouse/
- Published: 2005-04-02T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T06:32:14.000Z
- Author: Carolyn Sackariason
- Tags: Crime, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*Courtroom drama can escalate emotions*

In a place where disputes are hashed out daily, court officials must remain on high alert, but that’s becoming increasingly difficult as security budgets are slashed.

Faced with an $11 million cutback in security throughout the entire Los Angeles Super ior Court system this year, Santa Monica Judge Linda Lef k owitz said she’s concerned about the safety of her staff and the public.

Lefkowitz, who presides over the West District — comprised of five courthouses on the westside — said bailiffs have been removed from most of the courtrooms, leaving judges to rely on their calm demeanors and a panic button underneath their benches.

“Security is always at the edge of a judge’s mind,” she said. “There’s always the potential for someone to lose control.”

Lefkowitz cited an incident just last week at the LAX Courthouse in which a prisoner broke free from his waist chains, picked up a chair and threw it — presumably at the judge — which missed a court reporter’s head by mere inches. But because it was a criminal courtroom, luckily a bailiff was present, she added.

All of the courthouses throughout LA have been asked to scale back significantly in security personnel, and Santa Monica is no exception. There is only one scanner and one metal detector at the entrance, sometimes causing long lines and frustration among visitors at a courthouse that experiences high traffic. Each judge handles about 325 cases a year, according to Lefkowitz.

“We do pick up on an amazing amount of knives and other weapons, and drugs, too,” Lefkowitz said of the Santa Monica Courthouse.

Bailiffs remain in Santa Monica courtrooms where emotions can run high such as family court, small claims, tenant and landlord disputes, and juvenile proceedings.

“These courtrooms function as a place for personal disputes and some of these people are on the edge,” said Lefkowitz, adding that she feels more confident about safety and security because Santa Monica judges are experienced in diplomacy, which keeps plaintiffs and defendants calm. “We are very fortunate because we have senior judges.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 2, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/040205.pdf?ref=smdp.com)