Courthouses to Reopen After Anthrax Hoax

The Van Nuys courthouses remained closed Tuesday as health officials worked to confirm that no anthrax biotoxins had been released in either of the buildings. Authorities said earlier that a threat received Monday was a hoax.

The scare put dozens of court cases on hold for a week and scattered court staff and lawyers across the county. Court officials said the courthouses will remain closed today but are expected to reopen Thursday.

It was the fourth local anthrax scare in a week. A telephone threat cleared the federal Bankruptcy Court building in Warner Center on Friday. Previous threats were received at a Westwood office building and a Riverside County school district office.

All were hoaxes, authorities said.

“I’d be very surprised” if the deadly spores were discovered, said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, head of the county’s health department. Test results were due today.

He said the courthouses were evacuated and samples taken and tested solely as a precautionary measure.

John Hoos, a spokesman for the FBI--which had ruled out the presence of anthrax by Monday evening--said he does not believe the threats are the work of a single person, but rather a series of copycat incidents.

Anyone making such a threat is guilty of terrorism through the use of a weapon of mass destruction, which carries a possible life prison sentence, he said.