Originally Posted by T.J. Bender

Courthouse rules, unfortunately, vary by jurisdiction. TSA has a "uniform standard" (forgive me while I choke on that) nationwide. For example, the county courthouse near me has a WTMD and X-ray for your belongings. They'll search your bag if anything looks suspicious, and break out the wand if you set off the WTMD, but that's about it.

At the federal courthouse in Denver, however, they have a MMW machine (supposedly without ATR), and refusing to go through it results in either a pat-down so thorough that it makes the TSA's seem light or denial of entry. A neighbor of mine claims that he was summoned to jury duty in the federal court in Denver and refused to go through the MMW or submit to a pat-down. As he tells the story, the judge was notified and sent word down that if he didn't complete screening and enter the courthouse for his summons, he would be brought through forcibly to stand trial for contempt. Give that story as much credence as you choose to--I find it a little fishy.

So, yeah, long story short, there is no "book" on courthouse procedures because courts, unlike airport checkpoints, are controlled at the local level.