Today’s entry is the result of a team effort. A triple murder suspect escorted from court broke away from deputies and leaped over a railing in an Ohio courthouse. His escape was short-lived, lasting only about 48 feet or four stories. Accused-triple-murderer-jumps-death

Let’s think about this for a moment. Sometime in the not so distant past the citizens of Mahoning County, Ohio decided that they needed a new courthouse. One can assume that they followed a time-honored process, first find an architect who has experience designing courthouses and describing a list of requirements. Likely they convened meetings of stakeholders to review plans. Judges probably wanted private bathrooms attached to their chambers. Probably, the Sheriff wanted a secure facility one that would keep bad guys in and trouble makers out.

It would seem that anybody with a tad of common sense would have spoken up when the committee said,  “Yeah, what we need is a multistory building with an interior atrium with balconies all around. What could go wrong? What happens in a courthouse?

People get divorced, not always a happy event. Child custody issues are sometimes decided with a winner and a loser. Wills get probated, and the black sheep finally has it driven home that he is the black sheep when the dog makes out better than he did. Criminals find out folks are tired of their shit and their displeasure is measured in years. In other words, not exactly a happy place. The only way the architect could have screwed up more would have been to install a springboard on the top floor balcony.

The Sheriff’s Office compounded matters by escorting an unrestrained prisoner through public spaces. In many courthouses, the only public space a prisoner sees is the courtroom itself. Unseen by the public is a whole system of secure corridors, holding cells, and secured elevators. Belly chains, leg irons, and handcuffs would have prevented this prisoner’s escape no matter how brief.

It is no great loss, but there is no sense in making it so damn easy.

Wonder if these architects designed the Austin Police Headquarters? It has a five story interior atrium with balconies on three sides. The fourth side used to be glass. APD had more than one person take a header of the balcony while waiting to be interviewed. As for the glass wall, some wacko sprayed the front of the police station with about twenty rounds, now sheets of plywood share space with the remaining glass