Meriden Court Reopened Wednesday Following Tuesday Lockdown - Update

Update - Wednesday, Feb. 29, 9:00 a.m.

The city's courthouse is open Wednesday after being closed Tuesday due to a suspicious substance found in front of the building.

Update - Tuesday, Feb. 28, 3:12 p.m.

There is still no word from state police as to what the suspicious white powdery substance left in front of the Meriden Superior Courthouse Tuesday morning was. Reached by e-mail at 3:06 p.m. Tuesday, State Police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance said there is currently a criminal investigation by state police into the incident, and that the substance was sent to the state crime lab after a field test was completed.

Update - Tuesday, Feb. 28, 12:26 p.m.

After nearly four hours on lockdown, at about 11:45 a.m. Tuesday guards at the Meriden Superior Court announced to about 50 people waiting in the front courtyard that the court would be officially closed for the day.

State police had been called in at about 8:06 a.m. Tuesday morning to investigate a white powder that was found in front of the building at 54 W. Main St., Meriden, State Police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance said.

The building was cleared and the substance was transferred to state labs, and is being investigated by the State Police Major Crimes Squad, a state trooper at the scene told reporters.

The courtyard, which also abuts the Meriden Police Station, was filled for hours with courthouse staff, lawyers and area residents who were scheduled for court today.

Honey Jimenez of Waterbury and her father Jesus Urbaez were at the courthouse at 8:30 a.m. for a traffic ticket she had received.

There was only a handful of people waiting outside the building when she got there, but she knew something was going on, Jimenez said, because a trooper with gloves on swabbed a bench near the entrance of the courtyard, she said. 

"I didn't see what he scooped up, but he scooped up something," Jimenez said.

At about 11:25 a.m., the two were still waiting, reticent to leave, as Jimenez had taken the day off of work for the proceedings.

"When I first came in, they said it was going to be an hour and a half, and already it's 11:25," she said. "I don't know what's going on, and I don't want to get in trouble (for leaving)."

Jimenez and Urbaez did clear the courtyard with the rest of the crowd after guards announced the court would be closed for the rest of the day, and those with scheduled proceedings should follow up with their lawyers.

Original Story - Tuesday, Feb. 28, 9:59 a.m.

Meriden's Superior Court is on lockdown Tuesday morning after an unknown white powder was found at the courthouse, according to Lt. Paul Vance of the State Police.

The substance was found in front of the courthouse at 54 W. Main after 8 a.m. this morning, Vance said.

Biohazard troopers, who are specially trained in dealing with hazardous substances are at the courthouse now as of 9:57 a.m., to make a determination on the substance.