The courtroom killing of an Atlanta judge by a rape suspect and the murder of a Chicago judge’s family by a frustrated plaintiff sent a new wave of concern for safety through the U.S. judicial system on Friday.
“Both of these cases point out the need for security through the entire judicial system — in the courtroom, in and around the courthouse and at home,” said Oregon Judge Gayle Nachtigal, president of the American Judges Association.
Although violence against jurists is rare, the killings prompted concern that those who feel wronged by the system may be becoming more likely to seek retribution.
Some willing to take ‘extreme measures’
“Clearly, there is a willingness now on the part of what I hope is a very small minority of people to take these extreme measures,” said Thomas Schuck, a Cincinnati lawyer who is president of the Federal Bar Association.
Three federal judges have been killed in the United States since 1979. Killings of state and local judges — even assaults — have been similarly rare, Nachtigal said.
In Chicago, police said DNA and ballistics evidence led them to believe that former electrician Bart Ross, 57, murdered the husband and mother of Judge Joan Lefkow on Feb. 28. Last September, Lefkow dismissed a lawsuit filed by Ross.
Ross, who committed suicide on Wednesday during a police traffic stop, may have been targeting other judges and doctors whom he accused in several lawsuits of owing him compensation as a result of painful cancer treatment.
In Atlanta, officials said rape suspect Brian Nichols grabbed a deputy’s gun and opened fire, killing Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes, a court reporter and a deputy.
Some experts questioned whether court personnel should be armed with anything more lethal than chemical spray.
Tighter security urged
Many argued that courthouse perimeter security — metal detectors and searches of anyone entering — should become standard. Tighter security at federal buildings since the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing included adding traffic barriers.
Courts may need to keep a closer watch on the emotional state of defendants and civil litigants to head off violence, Schuck said.
But the Lefkow case, in which Ross broke into the judge’s Chicago home and laid in wait for her, raised concerns beyond the courtroom, Nachtigal said.
The 800 U.S. federal judges can request the U.S. Marshals Service to appraise their home security, but the judges themselves must pay for enhancements. Nachtigal said she pays for her home security system.
A 2004 Justice Department report criticized the Marshals Service for outdated procedures in protecting federal judges.
Judge Lefkow had dropped a special security detail assigned to safeguard her during the investigation of white supremacist Matt Hale for allegedly plotting to have her killed. The detail was dismissed after Hale was jailed in the case.
Ross was one of hundreds of people on a list of people to be questioned by detectives who had contentious cases before the judge, police said.
‘Threats are not uncommon’
“We get threats. Threats are not uncommon,” Nachtigal said. “Action on the threats is extremely uncommon. I have a file of threats and most are just angry words: ’Watch yourself, you’re going to get what you deserve, you’ve ruined my life.”’
The subject of judicial security is expected to come up at a meeting next week of federal judges.
“Courthouses are no more dangerous than a lot of places; in fact, they are one of the safest places you can be in. But unfortunately it’s also a place where there is a lot of stress on people,” Schuck said.
