Washington, DC—Today, Representatives Lucy McBath (D-GA-06) and Michael McCaul (R-TX-10) introduced the Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act. The bill would establish a State Judicial Threat Intelligence and Resource Center to provide technical assistance, training, and monitoring of threats for state and local judges and court personnel. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and John Cornyn (R-TX) lead companion legislation in the Senate, where it passed unanimously last Congress.

Judicial officers throughout the nation are subjected to threats of violence daily. In 2021, individuals protected by the U.S. Marshals Service — including federal judges, prosecutors, and court officials — faced over 4,500 threats, a 400% increase since 2015. Unlike the federal judiciary, the 30,000 state and local judicial officers lack a resource center on judicial security. In just the last several years, state judges and court personnel in multiple states have been killed, attacked, and even subject to murder plots simply for doing their jobs and deciding cases according to law.  

“Threats and personal attacks against judges and court personnel are becoming increasingly more common, and no person should fear for their safety while simply doing their job,” said Congresswoman McBath, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime. “The Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act will provide our state and local courts with tools they need to protect our judges and court personnel, and I thank my colleagues for their support of this important legislation.”

“This bipartisan bill sends a clear message: violence or threats against our judicial officers is never acceptable,” said Congressman McCaul. “No public servant should have to live in fear for themselves or their families. Amidst a dramatic increase in threats against our state and local judges, I am proud to support this critical legislation to help bolster judicial security and preserve the important work taking place in state and local courthouses around the nation.”

The bill has received support from a wide range of judicial organizations and high-ranking officials across the country.

“This legislation is vital to the security of every state judge in America,” said NCSC President Elizabeth T. Clement. “We urge Congress to take action today to help keep our judges safe.”

“Across the nation we have seen threats on and attacks against state and local judges increase, including near-fatal attacks on state judges in Texas and Ohio and attacks on or threats against state judges in California, Idaho, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Rhode Island, and Wyoming,” said Chief Justice Matthew Durrant, Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice and President of the Conference of Chief Justices. “We urge the swift passage of the Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act, which is an important step in protecting our state and local judges and, by extension, the rule of law.”

“Unlike the federal judiciary, the 30,000 state and local judicial officers across the nation lack a resource center on judicial security, standardized incident reporting, and access to threat evaluations,” said Regina de Chabert Petersen, Administrator of Courts for the Judiciary of the Virgin Islands and President of the Conference of State Court Administrators. “The Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act would help protect our local and state court personnel by providing them with technical assistance, increased threat tracking, and physical security assessments for court buildings and their homes.”

“As public servants, prosecutors deserve to fulfill their duties free from fear or threats. The Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act is important legislation as it provides the necessary support to keep our state and local judges, prosecutors, and court staff and their families safe, preserves the rule of law, and safeguards our judicial systems,” said Nelson Bunn, Executive Director of the National District Attorneys Association.  

“Judges have always lived with a certain level of risk, but it’s different now,” said Chief Justice Matthew Fader of Maryland.  “This is particularly true for many state judges who can find themselves under threat because they must resolve highly personal and emotionally charged issues that arise in cases such as family disputes, mental competency, child and elder abuse, domestic violence, horrific crimes, and many others.”

Background:

The Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act would create a State Judicial Threat Intelligence and Resource Center that would:

• provide technical assistance to state and local judges and court personnel around judicial security;
• provide physical security assessments for courts, homes, and other facilities where judicial officers and staff conduct court-related business;
• coordinate research to identify, examine, and advance best practices around judicial security. 

To read the full text of the bill, click here.