Mice Fall From Ceiling Of Fla. Courthouse

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- 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 called it an infestation. Some staffers said they check their handbags for stowaways before leaving the building each day, reported the Palm Beach Post.

Court employees and lawyers said 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 said he has put out a few dozen traps to capture the rodents. He said he's not sure there has been an uptick in mice lately but said they're getting more press than they deserve.

Not all courthouse employees are disgusted by the mice.

"They're so cute," Nancy Dixon, head of the county's Victim Services office, told the Palm Beach Post. "We like to put a positive spin on our mice."