A routine security check at the Mecklenburg County courthouse in Uptown Charlotte turned into a criminal case on Jan. 29, when deputies say they found a handgun tucked inside the purse of 35-year-old Dominique Palmatier.
According to court staff, the weapon was identified as a Ruger .22. Deputies said the gun was not listed as stolen, although its serial number did not match any existing records. A sheriff’s deputy charged Palmatier with violating North Carolina’s ban on weapons in courthouses and with carrying a concealed firearm without a permit.
Charlotte Alerts News reports that a security guard spotted the handgun on an X-ray monitor while screening Palmatier’s bag, then seized the purse and called in a sheriff’s deputy. Booking information from WCCB shows Palmatier was booked on Jan. 29, 2026, on charges of "weapon on state property" and "carrying concealed weapon."
What the law says
North Carolina law makes it illegal to bring a deadly weapon into any building that houses a court. Under G.S. 14-269.4, having a weapon "in any building housing any court of the General Court of Justice" is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
State law on concealed firearms is laid out separately in G.S. 14-269, which restricts carrying a pistol or gun concealed without a valid permit. Together, those statutes are the basis for the charges filed in courthouse gun cases like Palmatier’s.
Courthouse screening and safety
The Mecklenburg County court website notes that the main courthouse relies on metal detectors and X-ray screening of bags at its entrances. Mecklenburg County Courts says those checkpoints are intended to protect jurors, court staff and the public who move through the building every day.
The same security setup has intercepted weapons before. In October 2025, a similar screening caught another gun at the courthouse in a case involving a court employee with a semi-automatic firearm in a purse, as previously reported by Charlotte Alerts News.
Next steps
Palmatier’s case will move forward through the Mecklenburg County criminal court process. Booking records and court dockets can be checked through county portals or local court databases that track pending cases.
Prosecutors will decide whether to pursue formal charges and set a court date, and the WCCB booking page remains available as a public record of the arrest.
