Armed judges get attention after Ohio courthouse shooting

By Andrew Shepperson

Jefferson County Common Pleas Judge Joseph Bruzzese was shot Monday, Aug. 21, as he walked from his car to the courthouse. (Photo: AP)
Armed judges are more common than some may think and now find themselves under the spotlight after a courthouse shooting in Ohio last week.
The Associated Press reported a survey conducted by the National Judicial College in 2014 found that several judges said they carried guns while on the job.
“We carry guns,” one judge simply stated in response to the survey, which did not identify respondents.
“I now carry an easily accessible handgun with me at all times,” another judge said. “I have received firearms training and continue to practice and receive ongoing gun safety and training.”
The survey also found that two of every 100 judges said they’d been physically attacked at some time.
The issue has become all the more relevant after Jefferson County Judge Joseph Bruzzese was shot last Monday outside a courthouse in Steubenville, Ohio. The judge was hit multiple times but managed to fire back with a handgun he was carrying concealed. The suspect was then shot dead by an armed probation officer, and Bruzzese is currently recovering in a local hospital.
An investigation is still ongoing as to the motive behind Bruzzese’s shooting. He

Source: Guns.com