The U.S. Senate has passed the Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at enhancing security for state and local judges and court personnel. The legislation was introduced by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Chris Coons (D-DE), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).
The act proposes the creation of a State Judicial Threat Intelligence and Resource Center. This center would provide technical assistance, training, threat monitoring, physical security assessments, and research to identify best practices for judicial security. It would operate within the existing State Justice Institute.
Senator Cornyn stated: “With threats against judges and their families increasing at an alarming rate, more must be done to protect them. 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.”
Senator Coons commented: “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. 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.”
Senator Moran said: “Judges perform a critical community service at every level of our justice system. 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.”
Senator Whitehouse noted: “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. 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.”
Senator Shaheen added: “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. 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.”
The legislation also has support from Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) as a cosponsor in the Senate; Representatives Michael McCaul (TX-10) and Lucy McBath (GA-06) led companion legislation in the House.
Numerous organizations representing judicial officers have expressed support for this measure.
Senator John Cornyn has been serving Texas since 2002 after winning several general elections over Democratic opponents between 2002–2020.
