The federal Judiciary has voiced its support for newly introduced legislation to protect federal judges, saying action by Congress is needed to prevent tragedies like the one a year ago when the son of a judge in New Jersey was shot and killed by a disgruntled litigant.
The Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act, named for the son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, is a narrowly tailored bill that would protect judges’ personally identifiable information in federal databases and restrict data aggregators from reselling judges’ personal information. Currently, this information often is available at little or no cost.
The bipartisan legislation was introduced in the Senate today by New Jersey Democratic Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker. Additional cosponsors include Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and John Kennedy (R-LA). Representatives Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) and Brian K. Fitzpatrick (R-PA) are sponsors of a companion bill in the House of Representatives.
“Our constitutional system depends on an independent Judiciary,” said Judge Roslynn R. Mauskopf, director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. “Judges must be able to make decisions without fear of reprisal or retribution. This is essential not just for the safety of judges and their families, but also to protect our democracy.”
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, there has been a sharp rise in threats and inappropriate communications against federal judges and other essential court personnel, from 926 incidents in 2015 to 4,261 in 2020.
Some cases have involved litigants angered by a judge’s decision in their case. Judges handling controversial cases also have seen their home addresses circulated on social media.
Salas’ son was murdered July 19, 2020, by a disgruntled lawyer who came to her house posing as a de ..
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