Bed Bugs Fall Off Lawyer’s Clothing, Courthouse Forced To Close

CLAREMORE, Okla. (CBS Local) – An Oklahoma county courthouse was forced to close Monday after an attorney brought bed bugs into the building, authorities said.

The lawyer in question came up to the third-floor courtroom at the Rogers County Courthouse in Claremore with bugs crawling on his neck and falling out of his clothing, KJRH reported.

“Hard to imagine someone doesn’t know, you know that some bed bugs are crawling all over them certainly in abundance,” Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton said.

Officials closed the courthouse to clean up the mess.

“I was told the individual that had them also shook his jacket over the prosecutors files,” Walton said.

“I don’t even think he cared,” said Mike Clarke, head of security for the Rogers County Courthouse.

Exterminators worked for hours treating the affected areas of the 90,000 square foot building.

County Commissioner Steve Hendrix said there was never actually a bed bug infestation inside the courthouse. He said the county decided to treat the building to put people’s minds at ease. But it came with a hefty price tag: the initial estimate is $66,000.

Hendrix says the county isn’t sure who will end up paying the tab, but officials plan to talk to the county’s legal team to see if the attorney can be held responsible for the bill.

“Of course he should be responsible for the bill,” said Jordan Brown, who was visiting the courthouse. “Better not be taking our money and spending it on this.”