VALPARAISO | The cell phone ban at the county's three court buildings may have brought some peace of mind to judges and staff since taking effect four months ago, but it continues to create headaches for the public.

Despite numerous news articles and colorful signs posted at the entrance to the buildings, visitors are still being turned away with their phones, said Dennis Replin, who heads up court security.

Many simply return their phones to their cars, he said.

But returning to a car can be a hardship for individuals running late for court or for those who parked several blocks away from the Valparaiso courthouse to avoid the two-hour parking limit in the downtown area.

A visitor dropped off at juvenile court this week found himself in a jam by not having a car in which to store his cell phone.

Replin said some visitors are resorting to hiding their phones in the bushes outside of the court buildings.

Porter Superior Judge David Chidester said he saw someone picking up their phone from beneath the bushes outside his office, yet he believes the benefits of the ban outweigh the inconveniences.

"This is an issue of security," he said.

When the ban took effect Aug. 1, Chidester voiced concern about the availability of devices that look like cell phones capable of shooting bullets.

The phones also pose problems at the courts because they can be used to take photographs, record hearings, interrupt the proceedings or be used to access the Internet, he said Tuesday.

An exception in the ban allowing attorneys, judges and officers of the court to carry cell phones in the buildings was criticized this week by Valparaiso City Councilman Robert McCasland, who proposed a resolution requiring those same individuals to wear hot pink lip gloss when visiting buildings owned by the city of Valparaiso.

Chidester was not amused by McCasland's proposal, but he does plan to suggest a change involving attorneys.

He has heard of cases where attorneys have carried their clients phones into the court buildings. He wants to prohibit that practice.

While courthouse security will not hold on to cell phones, the officers are willing to hold knives until a visitor leaves or hold on to guns for police officers visiting for reasons other than work, Replin said.

There has been talk about offering lockers or other options to store phones at the buildings, but Chidester said a private venture along those lines in Allen County failed.