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Bomb threats force evacuation of all Conn. courthouses

HARTFORD, Conn. - Bomb threats prompted police to evacuate the state's 45 courthouses Friday, abruptly interrupting trials while sending judges, lawyers and people with routine court business into the streets.

A caller said bombs would go off at 2 p.m. An hour later, the buildings were still being searched with dogs and nothing had been found.

Public Safety Commissioner Leonard Boyle said there were five threats that were not directed against specific courthouses.

One threat was called in about 10 a.m. on a constituent phone line answered by a staff member in Gov. M. Jodi Rell's office, gubernatorial spokesman David Dearborn said.

Defense attorney William Gerace was in the Danielson Superior Court for pretrial conferences when it was evacuated before noon.

"At first they told us we'd be back in momentarily," he said. "Then we heard a rumor there was a bomb threat. I started looking at my clients suspiciously, but they all swore they didn't do it. We all stood around outside in the cold for an hour and a half."

State officials said they respond to about 400 such calls a year but have never shut down all Connecticut courthouses.

"The calls were not specific as to particular courthouses, which of course compounded the problem," Boyle said. "The calls simply stated that bombs had been placed in courthouses, or one call I believe said "judicial buildings' in the state of Connecticut."

[Last modified December 3, 2005, 01:23:08]