A Look at Local Courthouse Safety After Mason Tragedy

The Mason County Courthouse burned down Thursday night, Feb. 4, in a suspected case of arson. A man named Nicholas Miller was arrested the next for allegedly setting the fire after livestreaming his run from law enforcement on social media.

Thankfully, Mason County officials relocated most of the county’s important legal documents away from the courthouse last year during a renovation. Nonetheless, the episode will surely raise many questions about courthouse security in counties across Texas.

The Record sat down with Fayette County Judge Joe Weber last Friday to discuss the topic.

“We have a fire suppression system, and all of that was put in when the courthouse was remodeled under Judge Ed (Janecka),” Weber said. “The state fire inspectors came in last summer and pointed out a few things. They helped us with some upgrades, so I think we’re in pretty good shape. You never know, though. I always worry about that. A lot of our historical courthouses have burned down over the years.”

The bigger threat, Weber said, may come from an arsonist, like in Mason County.

Soon after taking office in 2019, Weber undertook a review of security at the courthouse. He implemented several measures afterwards, including limiting public access to the east entrance and the handicap entrance through the basement. In addition, all people entering the district courtroom must now walk through a metal detector.

The Mason County fire might also push more counties to store important legal documents offsite or on the internet.