FRESNO, Calif (KFSN) -- The arrest of a defense attorney this week put a spotlight on changes in security procedures at Fresno County courthouses.
Belts come off, pockets are emptied and buckets are filled with personal items destined for a security screening at Fresno County courthouses.
"Basically, you have to think of it just like an airport almost," said Fresno County sheriff's deputy Ernest Serrano.
Serrano described the security measures to a group of young courthouse visitors Friday, and showed them a toolbox filled with weapons seized just inside the doorway. A few of them arrived recently as a result of evolving security protocols.
Deputies have been accustomed to looking for your usual weapons - from little guns to knives to even a tree cutter - but it was a seemingly innocuous item that prompted a new change.
Inside a wallet, the little black card is barely noticeable. But pull it out and a weapon starts to take shape. A couple clicks later, it's transformed into a knife with a sharp metal blade. They run a few bucks online and survivalist groups even give them away. But up until last week, wallets didn't have to go through a metal detector at Fresno County courts. As soon as deputies noticed the first credit card knife, they tightened up the security.
"Once that started, we found more," said Serrano. "We found actually a lot more. At our Sisk Courthouse they were finding them. We found them here at the main courthouse. Not only these, but we were finding razors."
The next knife actually showed up within an hour of the new screening policy. Deputies tell me the knives aren't illegal, but signs at the courthouse entrance make it clear that bringing weapons inside is a crime.
"It's a citeable offense - it's a misdemeanor - we can cite them out on it, or it's also an arrestable offense. We can actually take them to jail for it," Serrano said.
The new security protocol is credited with uncovering several knives in just a few days. Four people are facing misdemeanor charges.