Williamson County Annex in Cedar Park

[ralewis]

Went to the tax office in the Williamson County Annex in Cedar Park last week. I always disarm before I go in there because there is a court room on the 2nd floor. The Tax Office (well, where you pay taxes, car registration, etc.) is downstairs. I'm just not certain if the entire building is a prohibited place or just the Courtroom. I decided this year to try to figure it out for sure though….

Copied below is the sentence from 46.03.

(3) on the premises of any government court or offices utilized by the court, unless pursuant to written regulations or written authorization of the court;

I don't believe the Tax office is an 'office used by the court', but I'm never certain if the "Premises" definition applies to the entire building, the floor the court is on, or the entire building. Definition of "Premises" is….

"Premises" means a building or a portion of a building. The term does not include any public or private driveway, street, sidewalk or walkway, parking lot, parking garage, or other parking area.

I never understood why this was worded as "building or portion of a building". If it was the entire "building" why would it be necessary to specify "portion of a building". Seems that might be intended to specify that 'portion of a building' might be applicable in the event that the entire building wasn't a prohibited place….

Thoughts?

[Itnkrman]

Can't speak to the Williamson County building but the McLennan County Annex that houses the tax office is also posted 30.06 at the front doors to the Bldg. However, it sounds like a similar layout with a courtroom on the second floor. I think in both cases, the city has taken a liberal interpretation to mean the whole building regardless of how the law might have been intended.

However, to avoid being the test case, I've just assumed the whole bldg to be off-limits and have disarmed everytime I've visited.

I'm also interested in what other have to add. Regardless, I remain hopeful that we'll have favorable legislative changes this summer that will negate this whole "off-limits" discussion!

[cb1000rider]

That's a very good call in Williamson county.

[ralewis]

Can't speak to the Williamson County building but the McLennan County Annex that houses the tax office is also posted 30.06 at the front doors to the Bldg. However, it sounds like a similar layout with a courtroom on the second floor. I think in both cases, the city has taken a liberal interpretation to mean the whole building regardless of how the law might have been intended.

However, to avoid being the test case, I've just assumed the whole bldg to be off-limits and have disarmed everytime I've visited.

I'm also interested in what other have to add. Regardless, I remain hopeful that we'll have favorable legislative changes this summer that will negate this whole "off-limits" discussion!

The curiosity for me is "Building or Portion of a Building". Why specify 'portion" if the whole building was off limits already…

[mr surveyor]

Can't speak to the Williamson County building but the McLennan County Annex that houses the tax office is also posted 30.06 at the front doors to the Bldg. However, it sounds like a similar layout with a courtroom on the second floor. I think in both cases, the city has taken a liberal interpretation to mean the whole building regardless of how the law might have been intended.

However, to avoid being the test case, I've just assumed the whole bldg to be off-limits and have disarmed everytime I've visited.

I'm also interested in what other have to add. Regardless, I remain hopeful that we'll have favorable legislative changes this summer that will negate this whole "off-limits" discussion!

a county office building posted 30.06?

[Jumping Frog]

When I paid taxes in a Harris County tax office last month, it also has a court in the building. I carried into the tax office and stayed out of the court.

[Cedar Park Dad]

When I paid taxes in a Harris County tax office last month, it also has a court in the building. I carried into the tax office and stayed out of the court.

If thats the one downtown you have my sympathies. Every time I've been there, its been the eighth level of Heck.
Everyone who votes should be required to have gone to the tax office, DPS, Social Security or Passport office at least once in the last six months.

[ralewis]

When I paid taxes in a Harris County tax office last month, it also has a court in the building. I carried into the tax office and stayed out of the court.

So, that's my question. I tend to be pretty conservative (perhaps overly so) and might be over thinking this. Is the law (or intent of the law) intended to establish the courtroom or the entire building the courtroom is in as a prohibited place. The wording seems confusing to me (building or portion of a building). The Tax office is the "Building" but not the "portion of the building" the court is in.

Apologies for being obtuse here… And maybe I'm just over thinking this… And yeah I realize we're not lawyers here, so I guess I'm really asking if anyone else is concerned about carrying in a tax office in a building with a courtroom.

[cb1000rider]

I think there are a few real lawyers here.. :-)

[treadlightly]

That's a very good call in Williamson county.

Does Williamson County have a bad reputation?

Back in the 70's, I worked for a company offering specialized communication services. I was at the Round Rock PD and needed to fire up a soldering iron.

No outlets were available at the desk where I needed to work, so I opened an adjacent door. I didn't think I was intruding on anyone. The room was dark, and, I thought, unoccupied.

I flipped on the lights, plugged in my extension cord, and looked up to see three police officers glaring at me. They were ringed around a fellow seated in a chair in the middle of the room, and I had the impression he was handcuffed.

I made cheery, clueless 19-year-old excuses, backed out, led my extension cord under the door, and closed the door behind me. About ten seconds later the door opened a crack, my extension cord came flying out, the door closed, and the lights went back off.

There wasn't any screaming. I have no idea what they were doing. These days I'd pursue the situation at least far enough to make sure everything was on the level, which it may have been - but I didn't see anybody in the room that looked like a lawyer.

Fortunately, good cops outnumber bad cops a zillion to one. I've always wondered about that unhappy scene, though. Questioning a suspect without a lawyer in a room with the lights off. Forgive me, but I've always wondered if I failed to report a crime.

[cb1000rider]

Williamson county has the reputation of being very enforcement heavy and harder on crime than surrounding counties. IE - expect vigorous enforcement and prosecution of small offenses.
A few recent examples:
* Williamson County caught some kid selling "pot brownies" - they were at one time seeking to quantify the weight of the brownies as total drug weight, which significantly increased the penalty for that offense. They dropped that avenue after a media storm.
* Williamson County had Ken Anderson, who was charged with hiding evidence in a death penalty case as a DA.

These are isolated incidents in a relatively big county... The overall reputation is that Williamson county is a bad place to commit crime, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I don't know much about Round Rock PD, I've never been stopped there. You can read about their exploits with a CHL forum member here: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3333" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - That's really the only complaint that I've ever read about overall policy.

[tamc]

I go there several times a year, including today. The only thing that jumps out at me is the non-tobacco use sign on the door. The court is in a secure area of the building.

You are not in Austin/Travis County anymore and I would be shocked that anything in Williamson County is improperly/un-gun friendly posted. (This is the reason I pay my vehicle "taxes" in Williamson, but happen to live in Travis).

[srothstein]

If Austin is the island of liberalism in a sea of conservativeness, Williamson county is probably doing its best to act as a counterbalance. In general, it is very conservative and reacts to crime and social issues as you would expect from conservatives.

But, there are some counter signs. Round Rock is anti-gun enough that they filed complaints against police officers from out of town for having a rifle out of their trunk. They were using a waitress from Twin Peaks as a model on the trunk of the patrol car with the rifle. A Manor police officer called Round Rock and complained. Round Rock PD decided not to arrest the officers but filed IA complaints against the out of town officers. Their boss fired one and suspended the rest for "non-professional" behavior. I believe that they did not try to file criminal charges only because it was off-duty officers and that if they received a call about a citizen with a rifle that they would arrest, at least for disorderly conduct.

[birdman253]

I go there several times a year, including today. The only thing that jumps out at me is the non-tobacco use sign on the door. The court is in a secure area of the building.

You are not in Austin/Travis County anymore and I would be shocked that anything in Williamson County is improperly/un-gun friendly posted. (This is the reason I pay my vehicle "taxes" in Williamson, but happen to live in Travis).

I'm confused. I thought that vehicles in Texas had to be registered in the county of residence. Can one legally live in Travis county, and register their vehicles in Williamson?

[cb1000rider]

I'm confused. I thought that vehicles in Texas had to be registered in the county of residence. Can one legally live in Travis county, and register their vehicles in Williamson?

No.


If Williamson county is the counter-balance of Liberalism, I want nothing to do with it.