MEDIA

Congratulations to each of our 2024 Court Security Officers of the Year! Officer of the Year is the highest recognition for Walden Security Court Security Officers (CSOs).

How are Court Security Officers of the Year selected? Each district selects an CSO of the Quarter throughout 2024. At the end of the year, the Court Security officer of the Year is selected from the pool of Officer of the Quarter awardees. They are selected for many reasons, including their handling of specific incidents, their professionalism and dedication throughout the year, and more.
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Raphael Nicolazzi – 2024 CSO of the Year from the Middle District of Tennessee

CSO Raphael Nicolazzi is a 20+ year police veteran who excels at de-escalating situations due to his calm demeanor and high alert readiness. When an individual became irate at CSO Nicolazzi for not being allowed to enter the courthouse with a knife, they started yelling obscenities. CSO Nicolazzi stayed calm and in control, escorting the individual off the premises and advising them that they would not be allowed to enter if they did not remain calm and in control. Twenty minutes later, the individual returned for their court appearance and entered without issues.

Matthew Wilburn – 2024 CSO of the Year from the Western District of Virginia

While driving on the interstate, CSO Wilburn witnessed a significant accident where a truck jackknifed, resulting in the truck erupting in flames. CSO Wilburn called 911 and rushed to aid the truck driver. The driver was trapped in the truck, surrounded by fire. With the assistance of another individual and after multiple attempts, CSO Wilburn was able to free the driver. CSO Wilburn remains in contact with the truck driver.  

CSO Wilburn was truly heroic for his actions that day. We congratulate him for his self-less response and for his daily service to the security of the judicial system.

Terrence Via – 2024 SSO of the Year from the DC Superior Court

Terrence Via has served for 5 years as Lead Special Security Officer (LSSO) at the DC Superior Court. He is an exemplary employee who consistently demonstrates professionalism in all his duties. In one incident, a juvenile at his site became irate because they could not have their phone. They verbally threatened to inflict harm on LSSO Via and the entire staff. LSSO Via instructed staff to call law enforcement, as the juvenile’s behavior escalated. The juvenile attempted to move LSSO Via out of the way to get to their phone. LSSO Via handled himself professionally, using the minimum amount of force necessary to gain control and compliance to stop the threat and detain the juvenile until police arrived.

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Armando Lopez– 2024 CSO of the Year from the Northern District of Illinois

CSO Armando Lopez has dedicated 29 years to serving his country and the citizens of Chicago. His career is hallmarked by his constant professionalism, integrity and attention to detail. All of which demonstrate his unquestionable loyalty to those he serves.

In one incident, CSO Lopez was working at the lobby screening station when an individual entered with a cane. The cane did not image correctly, prompting CSO Lopez to conduct a further inspection. He discovered the cane handle could be removed, which was being used to conceal a 4-inch knife. This is just one example of the outstanding and high-quality work CSO Lopez brings to his courthouse daily.

CSO Lopez received the Department of Homeland Secretary's Award, a Judiciary Letter of Outstanding Performance, several Walden Security SPOT Awards, and was named CSO of the Quarter in 2024.

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Craig Corbett – 2024 CSO of the Year from the District of Kansas

CSO Craig Corbett began his law enforcement career in 1987 as a police officer and then with the Kansas Highway Patrol. After his retirement, he joined Walden Security in 2019 as a CSO. He was named CSO of the Year for his dedication to his duties, as evident below.

CSO Corbett watched an individual leave a backpack on a picnic table outside the courthouse before entering. CSO Corbett questioned the individual about the bag, who said it only contained a cell phone that they couldn’t bring in. The individual’s behavior and statements prompted CSO Corbett to retrieve the backpack and run it through the X-ray machine. They found it contained a loaded gun and multiple rounds of bullets.  

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Jimmy Howington – 2024 CSO of the Year from the Eastern District of Arkansas

CSO Jimmy Howington has been with Walden Security since 2016, consistently demonstrating his leadership skills. Utilizing his experience, he provides new CSOs with in-depth training. A CSO trained by CSO Howington scored an impressive 100% on his written exam and passed his evaluation without error.

CSO Howington also stepped up to cover additional duties as a Lead CSO (LCSO) when another LCSO was out for an extended period. This included leading 17 CSOS in securing all aspects of a ceremony, with more than 200 guests and judges in attendance. The ceremony was a flawless event under the leadership of CSO Howington.

This is the second time CSO Howington has been named CSO of the Year. The first time was in 2018. He retired from the Maine Corps as a Regimental Sergeant Major with 30 years of service to our country.

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We will be celebrating our remaining CSOs of the Year throughout the summer: 

• James Corbett –  2024 CSO of the Year from the District of Maine
• Joanne Fundaro –  2024 CSO of the Year from the Southern District of New York
• Luis Rodriguez –  2024 CSO of the Year from the Middle District of Pennsylvania
• Pamela Wise - 2024 CSO of the Year from the Middle District of Georgia