PORTLAND, Maine — Courthouses in Maine were evacuated and searched Thursday due to bomb threats.
Barbara Cardone, director of legal affairs and public relations for the Maine Judicial Branch, said in a release Thursday that some Maine Judicial Branch employees received an email containing a general statement that bombs had been planted in or around courthouses in the state. But the email didn't identify a specific location.
The same group sent a similar email regarding explosives in the Maine State House on Wednesday, Cardone said.
The Cumberland County Courthouse, York County Courthouse, Kennebec County Courthouse, York Judicial Center, and Capitol Judicial Center were evacuated and searched. According to Cardone, all have since reopened except for the York Judicial Center, which will reopen Friday.
"All other courthouses were checked for security risks or anything that seemed unusual," Cardone said. "No explosives were found in any courthouse location.
The FBI said it was aware of numerous hoax incidents in which bomb threats were made against courthouses.
"The FBI takes hoax threats very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk," FBI Boston Division spokesperson Kristen Setera told NEWS CENTER Maine in a statement. "While we have no information to indicate a specific and credible threat, we will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention."
The Cumberland County Courthouse, located at 205 Newbury Street in Portland, was evacuated around 10:15 a.m.
Portland police responded to the scene and told NEWS CENTER Maine a bomb threat was made via email to the marshals in charge of the courthouse security. Similar threats have been made in other parts of the country, according to police.
Police brought in a K9 unit to sweep the building, and nothing was found, according to a release from Portland police spokesperson Brad Nadeau. The building reopened at 11:30 a.m.
"We have been in touch with our state and federal partners and believe this may be related to the threats that were called into several state capitol buildings around the country yesterday," Nadeau said in the release.
All of the courthouse employees and members of the public who were in the building were sheltered in place at the Portland Police Department parking garage until the building reopened, NEWS CENTER Maine's Vivien Leigh reported from the scene.
"Some people in the crowd thought it was a bomb threat," Sheila Macquarie, who was in court for a case when the evacuation occurred, said. Question: What went through your mind? Perfect the day that I am here, you know. I hope that is a false alarm and can go back in," Macquarie added.
It was a scary time for criminal defense attorney Kristine Hanley, who was waiting for her case to go before the judge.
"The Marshall came in and told the judge to get off the bench, so he escorted her out, came back in, and told us to get out of the building," Hanley explained.
This after a bomb threat was emailed to judicial marshals in charge of security at the Cumberland Co Courthouse. News Center's Leigh and photojournalist Derek Thayer was in the same courtroom with Hanley.
York County Commissioner Justin Chenette said in a social media post shortly before 11:15 a.m. Thursday, the York County Courthouse was evacuated as a precautionary measure due to threats at other Maine courthouses.
York County Manager Greg Zinser told NEWS CENTER Maine the threat was a generic bomb threat, and they evacuated employees to a nearby building as a precaution.
Cardone said officials have every reason to believe the threats were a hoax, but the evacuations were done as a precaution to protect the public.
The New Hampshire Department of Public Safety confirmed hoax bomb threats were also made against courthouses in New Hampshire.
The department said in a release Thursday that its Information and Analysis Center has no information indicating credible threats in New Hampshire.
The FBI said it urges members of the public to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately by calling 911, the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or online at tips.fbi.gov.
This story will be updated as we learn more.