Suddenly He Was There: Is Your Court Prepared for a Shooting Tragedy?

Shooting incidents are becoming a scourge on the American landscape and courthouses are certainly not immune. An incident can last only seconds but the trauma to court staff and the unsuspecting public can live on and on. If a calamity occurs, we face the triple challenge: emergency decisions and communications, dealing with law enforcement and a crime scene, and maintaining or reestablishing ongoing operations. What can your staff and your court do to prepare? What do we keep in mind if it happens? What can we learn from professionals who have dealt with these issues in real time? Patricia Norwood-Foden, Lt. Adam Sibley, Lance Wilson, and Deputy U.S. Marshal Addison Friedman talk about working through tragedy and restoring a degree of normalcy. This is an intriguing episode for listeners interested in emergencies, active shooter situations, courthouse security, and court administration. Leave a comment or question about the podcast at [email protected]. Guest Speakers Patricia Norwood-Foden has been the District Court Administrator for the 15th Judicial District of Pennsylvania, Chester County, since 2009.  Prior to her current position, she was the Minor Judiciary Administrator and has worked in the judiciary system since 1991.  Ms. Norwood-Foden is a graduate of East Stroudsburg University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, earned a paralegal certification from Penn State University and successfully completed the judicial administration certification program offered by Michigan State University.  She is currently pursuing her Master of Legal Studies degree from West Virginia University.  Lance Wilson retired in 2017 after a 35 year career in court administration.  Lance was District Court Executive/Clerk of Court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada (1995-2017).  Previously he was Clerk of Court for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania (1991-1995) and as a Chief Deputy/Deputy in Charge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona(1987-1991).  Lance started his career in judicial administration with the Maricopa Superior Court in Phoenix, Arizona.   Lance holds a Master of Science Degree in Judicial Administration from the University of Denver College of Law and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice/Minor in Fine Arts, from Alvernia College.    Lieutenant Adam Sibley served in law enforcement since 2008, and is currently employed with the Chester County Sheriff’s Office in Pennsylvania.  Throughout the past ten years, Adam has been involved with the Sheriff’s Office Judicial Security Unit and Protective Intelligence Unit responsible for anticipating, deterring, and investigating threats of violence against court staff and other participants within the Chester County court system.   Addison Friedman started with the U.S. Marshals Service in January of 2011. His first duty assignment was in D.C. Superior Court located in Washington, D.C. Deputy Friedman spent three and half years in D.C. before returning back home to Charlotte, NC in March 2015. He is now assigned to the Western District of North Carolina-Charlotte office. Deputy Friedman has held numerous collateral duties to include Use of Force Instructor, Training Coordinator, and COOP Manager.  Since April 2017, Deputy Friedman has been assigned to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). In October 2018, Deputy Friedman coordinated a full scale active shooter exercise at the Charlotte Federal Courthouse, which included all Judges, Clerks, U.S. Marshals, Local Law Enforcement, Fire Department, EMS, and the local hospital.