Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Sen. Cornyn's 'Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act' would improve security for all court and judicial personnel and citizens participating in the legal process
鈥淲e are grateful to be alive,鈥� said Julie Kocurek, the presiding judge of the in Travis County, Texas. It was a rare, candid conversation about the assassination
attempt that nearly killed Kocurek and her teenage son, Will, in Nov. 2015.
Travis County District Presiding Judge Julie Kocurek and Her Son Will (Source: FOX4 News/KDFW)
The ambush of Judge Kocurek after a high school football game wasn鈥檛 the first nor the last time a judge had been targeted at the local, state or federal level. But now, these kinds of threats and attacks are happening more often than ever, according to experts who track the attacks.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a sign of the times,鈥� said Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), whose legislation to address an 鈥渁larming spike鈥� in recently passed the U.S. Senate unanimously, 100-0. 鈥淧eople have a grudge, an axe to grind. The courts are not viewed as impartial anymore.鈥�
The in these acts and threats of violence prompted Sen. Cornyn to gather legal and law enforcement experts, survivors, and judicial safety advocates together at the 猫咪视频 Dallas College of Law on June 25, 2024.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) with Eight Participants in Discussion of Judicial Threats and Security on June 25, 2024
鈥淭his will save lives,鈥� Cornyn said, referring to his bill, the , following an emotional and eye-opening panel discussion.
As Judge Kocurek and her son shared their , the audience sat stoically silent, hanging on every word. 鈥淚t was chaos and horror. I told her 鈥榞oodbye鈥�,鈥� said Will Kocurek, now 24. 鈥淚t was a very dark time for our family.鈥�
He had confronted the gunman, who secretly stalked Judge Kocurek, surveilled her home and blocked the security gate of her home with a bag of leaves. Since surviving the shooting, Judge Kocurek endured 30 surgeries. She is now . Will was not seriously hurt, although he said he also expected to be shot that night.
Law enforcement captured the shooter, who was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
A Poster Shows TV Coverage of Attacks on Judges and Their Familes Across the U.S.
鈥淭hese are often disgruntled litigants who cannot accept the outcome of legal proceedings,鈥� said Karen Mitchell, the longtime clerk of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. 鈥淭hey are enemies of democracy and the rule of law.鈥�
In Texas alone, 522 general threats, 29 assaults, and 68 bomb threats were made toward judicial officers from 2018 to 2023, according to the Texas Office of Court Administration.
鈥淔ederal assistance is needed to help states ward off security threats,鈥� said Nathan
Hecht, Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. Hecht urged the U.S. House to pass
the bill and send it to President Biden to sign it into law. 鈥淢ore secure judicial
facilities will benefit not only judges and court personnel, but everyone.鈥�
Hon. Nathan Hecht Listens During Panel Discussion on Threats to Judges and Judicial Personnel
Decades ago, as Hecht was working his way up the legal ladder, he experienced the loss of a leader and mentor in a murder that made history. U.S. District Judge John H. Wood Jr, for whom Hecht had worked, , Texas, in May 1979. It was the first time that a federal judge was assassinated in the U.S.
Charles Harrelson, , was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. He had been hired to carry out the hit on Judge Wood.
In the decade since Wood鈥檚 death, scores of judges, prosecutors and other judicial
staff have been the targets of similar violence and . 鈥淪ome are overt. Some are subtle,鈥� said Kenda Culpepper, Rockwall County District
Attorney. 鈥淭he real terror begins when threats extend to our families.鈥�
Texas Senator John Cornyn pushes for better security through new legislation
Culpepper the man who killed Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland, his wife Cynthia, and Assistant DA Mark Hasse in 2013. Investigators say the man, a former Justice of the Peace, planned to kill two other judges.
Eight years earlier, the husband and mother of U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow in the family鈥檚 Chicago home. The tragedy prompted Lefkow to push for increased protection of judges. Three months after the killings, Congress approved funding for security systems in the homes of all federal judges.
After the attempt on Kocurek鈥檚 life, she led a task force on judicial security in Texas, which included a survey of judges. One-third said security at their courthouse was poor. It led to the legislature passing the , which improved the security of judges at all levels, both in their courthouses and at their homes.
Hon. Erleigh Wiley (center) Talks About a Recent Threat on Her Life
But the threats have become never-ending, more frequent and more serious in 2024, according to panelists. 鈥淭here鈥檚 an aggressiveness now,鈥� said Erleigh Wiley, Kaufman County District Attorney. She shared a recent text message from someone who threatened to stab her in the throat with a box cutter.
Sen. Cornyn鈥檚 bill would establish a central clearinghouse to monitor threats, share
intelligence, and train courthouse and judicial personnel. It would also conduct physical
security assessments, provide technical assistance for safety improvements, and share
best practices for judicial security.
Although Congress is debating other issues and members of the House are busy running for reelection, Sen. Cornyn and all of the distinguished panelists are confident the legislation will eventually become law. It can鈥檛 come soon enough.
鈥淛ustice will prevail over evil,鈥� said Jessica Nickel, representing the .
From 鈥� Law News