AUSTIN – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Chris Coons (D-DE), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) released the following statements after their Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act, which would establish a State Judicial Threat Intelligence and Resource Center to provide technical assistance, training, and threat monitoring for state and local judges and court personnel, passed the Senate:

“With threats against judges and their families increasing at an alarming rate, more must be done to protect them,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation would establish a much-needed resource center to identify and respond to bad actors, ensuring our nation’s courts and the Americans who work in them every day are safe.”

“Every public servant, including the members of our state and local judiciary, should be able to do their jobs free from threats to themselves, their families, or their livelihoods,” said Sen. Coons. “That’s why this bipartisan bill has seen such broad support in the Senate and from state judges and court officials across the country. I urge the House to swiftly pass this bill into law to protect the free and fair courts on which our nation relies and the people who keep them running.”

“Judges perform a critical community service at every level of our justice system,” said Sen. Moran. “Regardless of how a judge rules on a case, any form of harassment or intimidation is unacceptable. In response to growing threats and attacks against members of the judiciary, this legislation would provide needed resources and support to local law enforcement tasked with protecting judges and courthouses.”

“Online mobs have increasingly lobbed violent threats against judges, including in Rhode Island, for ruling against the Trump administration.  Judges and court officials must be able to conduct their work without fearing for their lives or their family’s safety,” said Sen. Whitehouse. “This timely bipartisan bill would bolster security at courthouses and judges’ homes to help protect the integrity of our judicial system.  We also need to make sure that orchestration of threats is properly investigated.”

“We’re seeing an alarming surge of dangerous threats and actions targeting judges across this nation – stoking the flames of violence towards public servants and their families,” said Sen. Shaheen. “I’m proud our bipartisan, commonsense solution to this troubling trend passed the Senate, establishing a State Judicial Threat Intelligence and Resource Center to implement enhanced security measures to keep judges, their families and their staff out of harm’s way.”

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) also cosponsored the legislation. U.S. Representatives Michael McCaul (TX-10) and Lucy McBath (GA-06) led companion legislation in the House.

Background:

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

• 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;
• Conduct research to identify, examine, and advance best practices around judicial security;
• And be housed within the existing State Justice Institute, a private nonprofit and nonpartisan corporation established by Congress in 1984.

The legislation is supported by the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ), Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA), Council of Chief Judges of the State Courts of Appeal (CCJSCA), National Association for Presiding Judges and Court Executive Officers (NAPCO), National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), National Center for State Courts (NCSC), American Judges Association (AJA), National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), and National Center for State Courts (NCSC).