Mice overrun Fla. courthouse, fall from ceiling

[February 21, 2009]  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- There are so many mice in one Florida county courthouse that they've been seen falling from ceiling tiles. One judge at the Palm Beach County Courthouse calls it an infestation. Some staffers say they check their handbags for stowaways before leaving the building each day.

Court employees and lawyers say the rodents scuttle down corridors, munch legal papers and scratch behind the walls. Last week, one mouse ran around a courtroom floor for an hour during a burglary trial.

The courthouse facilities manager says he's put out a few dozen traps to capture the rodents. He says he's not sure there has been an uptick in mice lately but says they're getting more press than they deserve.

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Information from: The Palm Beach Post, http://www.pbpost.com

[Associated Press]

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