The Pitkin County courthouse in Colorado is set to open to jury trials for the first full week of April, and the facility has upgraded its physical security measures and guarding in preparation.

“Our beautiful town has been pretty safe (over those decades),” Pitkin County Deputy Brady Jax told the Aspen Times, who is now in charge of courthouse security. “But (recently) some defendants got aggressive with the judges … and the 9th Judicial District felt it was time to change the security. With the renovation, we were able to bring it into the 21st century.”

In addition to an expanded list of items prohibited from the building, new security screening measures and three additional full-time security positions, there are a number of new COVID-19 safety measures in place as well. For example, only 20 prospective jurors will be allowed inside the building at any one time to allow for social distancing.