According to University of Virginia Police Captain Michael Coleman, there are many factors which determines whether bags will be checked at University events, including: who is going to be there, the number of people involved, and the content of the program.

Generally, UVA police will meet with event sponsors and decide what type of security is needed.

For Cabell Hall, there are already established policies, but it still depends on the nature of the event. For any large event at Cabell Hall, bags would be checked under a condition of Code Orange (Captain Michael Coleman, phone conversation, March 19, 2003).

On March 17th, bags were checked at Old Cabell Hall for the Mo Rocca/Larry Sabato event , where there were 850 people in attendance with 500 turned away at the door.

At a Miller Center event earlier in the day, where Gustav Niebuhr spoke, bags were not checked but UVa police had staff kind of watch people. Typically, the Miller Center does spot checks under a condition of Code Orange (Margaret Edwards, Director of External Relations, phone conversation, March 19, 2003).

Bags will be checked at the Festival of the Book events at Culbreth. The decision to do so, as with other venues, is based on the anticipated size of the crowd (if it's 30 people, they probably won't; if it's 600, they will), the nature of the event and the national alert level.

Decisions continue to be made on a case-by-case basis and checking is done by hired security people, since police cannot check bags etc. without probable cause (Captain Michael Coleman, phone conversation, March 21, 2003)

On Friday, March 21 at 8:30 p.m., local author John Grisham will speak at Culbreth [Free tickets to this event, and to all Culbreth Headline events, will be handed out at the door an hour before the program time. Doors to the auditorium will open a half-hour before the program time. No more than two tickets per person will be given out, and no advance registration is available.] where a large crowd is expected.

At 8 p.m. the following evening, renowned mystery and suspense authors Stuart Kaminsky (Not Quite Kosher), Donald E. Westlake (Put a Lid On It), Peter Robinson (In a Dry Season), Margaret Maron (Slow Dollar), S. J. Rozan (Winter and Night) will be speaking at a second headline event at Culbreth Theater, entitled Murder and Mayham, an event moderated by Tom Nolan.

There will be a police officer stationed at Festival of the Book events held in City Council Chambers, including Saturday's offering at 4 p.m.:

"Patriotism" and the Right of Free Speech During Wartime
What does the past predict for the right of speech during the war on terror? A discussion with Henry Abraham (Freedom and the Court), Barbara Perry (The Priestly Tribe), Robert O'Neil (The First Amendment and Civil Liability) and Katherine McNamara, publisher of the online quarterly Archipelago. (ThomasJefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression)

The event is scheduled to be broadcast on C-Span tomorrow, Saturday, March 22, at 4:00 p.m. (E.S.T.), and will likely be repeated.