Reps. McCaul, McBath and Sens. Cornyn, Coons Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect State and Local Judges

WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus of the House Homeland Security Committee — alongside Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.), Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Chris Coons (D-Del.), 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.

“This bipartisan bill sends a clear message: violence or threats against our judicial officers is never acceptable,” said Rep. 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."

“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 Rep. 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.”

“With threats against judges and their families increasing at an alarming rate, more must be done to protect them,” saidSen. 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.”

“Public servants should be able to do their jobs free from threats to themselves or their families – and that includes our state and local judges,” said Sen. Coons. “Our nation has seen increasing political violence that has too often ended in tragedy – threatening those just trying to serve their country and threatening our democratic system built on respect for the rule of law. I’m proud this bipartisan bill unanimously passed the Senate last year and I look forward to working with my colleagues to get this bill to the president’s desk.”

Background:

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 subject to murder plots. During the 118th Congress, this bill passed unanimously in the Senate.

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.

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