Authorities say a suspicious substance found in mail sent to a judge at the Santa Fe Courthouse isn't dangerous.
Santa Fe Fire Department Assistant Chief Jan Snyder said Wednesday that preliminary testing identified the white powdery substance as sodium bicarbonate, commonly considered baking soda. Additional testing will be done at a laboratory in Albuquerque.
The courthouse was evacuated for several hours but it's reopening for business in the afternoon.
Chief Judge Raymond Ortiz said 20 people in the court clerk's office were isolated after a worker found the powder in an envelope addressed to District Judge Stephen Pfeffer.
The evacuation came two days after the fourth floor of the state Capitol was evacuated when what turned out to be a harmless substance was found in mail to Gov. Susana Martinez
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.