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Minnesota judge who demanded more court security reassigned

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Jan 24, 2012 at 12:20 pm

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A Minnesota judge is being reassigned after saying he would no longer hear cases in a suburban court that lacked metal detectors.

A spokeswoman for Hennepin County District Courts said that Judge Lloyd Zimmerman was reassigned to Family Court. She did not know if it was a permanent or temporary reassignment.

In an email, Zimmerman says he was told Monday by the chief judge that his civil caseload "was being taken" from him and that the chief judge was planning to reassign him to Family Court.

Zimmerman calls it "plain acts of retaliation" for his "asking for a safe courtroom."

Zimmerman said last week he would not go to the Brooklyn Center courthouse until weapons screening is in place. He cited a recent courthouse shooting in northern Minnesota.