Dozens of bats invade Utah courthouse

ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) — Order is being restored to the courthouse in St. George with the removal of dozens of bats from the building.

The Brazilian free-tailed bats were discovered when employees arrived for work Thursday at the 5th Judicial District Courthouse.

More than 50 bats were removed Thursday and Friday from the attic and other areas of the building, said Eric Palmer of Southwest Exterminators.

Zac Weiland, a Washington County deputy prosecutor, said he heard scratching noises when he walked into court Friday morning. Bats were in the ceiling, hallways, stairwells and even inside courtrooms.

"I don't like bats. I saw (one) crawling, and it's stuck in a little lamp, and I'm like, 'I'm done, I want out,' " he told KSL.

Court officials said while the bats caused minimal disruptions in court operations, some proceedings had to be moved from one courtroom to another.

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Honolulu court screeners find pet duck in bag

HONOLULU (AP) — Security screeners at a Honolulu courthouse noticed something moving inside a defendant's bag as it passed through an X-ray machine earlier this week.

After initially refusing to open it, the bag's owner reluctantly revealed that his pet was inside. When he opened the bag, screeners found a live duck and a bottle of beer, Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Toni Schwartz said.

Deputies told Michael Hubbard that his pet and beverage wouldn't be allowed inside Circuit Court, so he left. He returned a short while later and asked that deputies look after his belongings while he went inside for an appointment, Schwartz said, adding that visitors are allowed to leave their things outside at their own risk.

Hubbard went to his appointment, while the duck waited outside. Hawaii News Now reports Hubbard has two felony assault cases pending. He couldn't be reached for comment Thursday.

Schwartz said Hubbard didn't appear intoxicated. "Everything was peaceful," she said.

"We recommend people not bring their pets to court," she said. "Believe it or not this is not an unusual occurrence. A lot of people try to bring their pets to court."

But those pets are usually dogs.

"A duck is unusual," she said. "I don't think we've come across that one before."

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