OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A disagreement over a Douglas County judge’s controversial courtroom ban on guns continues after officers who refused to disarm weren’t called to testify in court.

Police officers, prosecutors and even fellow judges gathered in a hallway during a hearing on the fifth floor of the county courthouse Monday to see whether an officer would be handcuffed for refusing to disarm.

But prosecutors didn’t call Officers Jon Martin and Kerry Windels to testify in a convenience store robbery case because they knew the officers would violate judge James Gleason’s courtroom gun ban.

Gleason refused to allow the officers to enter his courtroom last month while wearing their weapons. He denied the prosecutor’s request to hand off the case to another judge so the officers could testify without the risk of going to jail.

Brenda Beadle, chief deputy county attorney for Douglas County said “We want to proceed with our case, and we feel like that was our avenue to take - is to get a different judge.”

Beadle said she hopes the issue can be addressed through other avenue, such as a possible appeal.

Gleason declined to comment on the dispute.

Omaha Police Sgt. John Wells, head of the Omaha police union, said Gleason’s order puts officers at risk and was completely unnecessary.

“Both of the officers were not going to disarm under any circumstances,” Wells said.

Wells said the union will consider legal action over Gleason’s ban.

He is the only judge out of 28 at the courthouse with a no-guns policy.

Omaha City Attorney Paul Kratz said the city will not appeal the judge’s gun ban.

“Here you have a judge who is simply declaring what his policy is,” Kratz said. “However he runs his courtroom is up to him. It’s his courtroom. It’s not mine. As a lawyer, I’m going to respect his decision.”

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