Jury Service
Court Security
NOTICE: Courthouse Entry
New Castle County Courthouse opens for Jurors at 8:00 a.m.
Kent County Courthouse opens for Jurors at 8:15 a.m.
Sussex County Courthouse opens for Jurors at 8:30 a.m.
Courthouse Security Procedure Jurors Need to Know
The Capitol Police with the assistance of Superior Court Peace Officers (Bailiffs) are responsible for keeping the Superior Court a safe and secure environment. Security procedures are implemented for the safety of every person who enters the Courthouse. These procedures are not meant to harass, exclude or inconvenience anyone. We appreciate your cooperation and assistance to achieve our goal of safety and security.
Every Person Entering the Courthouse is Subject to a Search.
All jurors should arrive with enough time to allow security measures to be followed.
Please be mindful of what you bring into the Courthouse. There are varieties of potentially hazardous and dangerous items that are not permitted inside the Courthouse. In general, items that could be used to injure or harm another person are not permitted. If in doubt about an item, please check the prohibited items list, leave the item at home, or keep the item in your car (out of plain-sight).
Prohibited Items:
NO Weapons of any type.
NO Cutting instruments of any type—including knives, scissors, or anything with a cutting edge.
NO Tools of any type.
NO Aerosol sprays or containers—includes mace, pepper spray, hair-spray, shaving cream, etc.
NO Permanent markers or markers of any type.
Procedure upon entering the Courthouse.
All persons entering the Courthouse are asked to:
- Empty their pockets and place the contents in a container for X-ray scanning;
- Place overcoats on the belt of the X-ray scanning machine.
- Place purses, watches, jewelry, briefcases, backpacks, and parcels on the X-ray machine conveyor belt;
- Walk through the metal detector.
If the x-ray or metal detector sets off an alert or alarm, an officer may perform another scan using a hand-held wand. The Officer may also conduct a physical search of personal articles to determine the cause of the alert or alarm.
Before leaving the security screening area, persons entering the Courthouse should be sure to retrieve all personal possessions.
Security personnel will not hold items while you are in the Courthouse. Therefore, Capitol Police are not responsible for anything left at the security screening station.
Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.
Security Staff may remove disruptive or disorderly individuals from the building. You may be arrested for disorderly conduct or the judge may hold you in contempt of court.
