Threats to Judges, Prosecutors Explode

[BlueJessamine]

Source: Washington Post

By Jerry Markon

Threats against the nation's judges and prosecutors have sharply increased, prompting hundreds to get 24-hour protection from armed U.S. marshals. Many federal judges are altering their routes to work, installing security systems at home, shielding their addresses by paying bills at the courthouse or refraining from registering to vote. Some even pack weapons on the bench.

The problem has become so pronounced that a high-tech "threat management" center recently opened in Crystal City, where a staff of about 25 marshals and analysts monitor a 24-hour number for reporting threats, use sophisticated mapping software to track those being threatened and tap into a classified database linked to the FBI and CIA.

"I live with a constant heightened sense of awareness," said John R. Adams, a federal judge in Ohio who began taking firearms classes after a federal judge's family was slain in Chicago and takes a pistol to the courthouse on weekends. "If I'm going to carry a firearm, I'd better know how to use it."

The threats and other harassing communications against federal court personnel have more than doubled in the past six years, from 592 to 1,278, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. Worried federal officials blame disgruntled defendants whose anger is fueled by the Internet; terrorism and gang cases that bring more violent offenders into federal court; frustration at the economic crisis; and the rise of the "sovereign citizen" movement -- a loose collection of tax protesters, white supremacists and others who don't respect federal authority.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/24/AR2009052402931.html

[billyoc]

1. An ideology that despises the Courts and all their works can only result in this.

[aquart]

2. Lack of faith in justice causes that problem.

Sending some rich and/or treasonous bastards to prison will cure it.

However, there are no plans to do that.

[DarthDem]

3. The Chicago-Based Federal Judge

Can someone remind me what happened with her case? I just searched for a few minutes and couldn't find anything. Thanks.

[DeSwiss]

10. Federal judge's family killed

Federal judge's family killed
Husband, mother found slain in basement

Jurist had been a target of white supremacist

By David Heinzmann and Jeff Coen | Tribune staff reporters
March 1, 2005

U.S. District Judge Joan H. Lefkow found her husband and mother shot dead in the basement of her home Monday night, less than a year after white supremacist Matthew Hale was convicted of trying to have her murdered for holding him in contempt of court.

Michael F. Lefkow, 64, an attorney, and Donna Grace Humphrey, 90, were lying in blood with gunshot wounds to the head when the judge arrived to a darkened house at 6 p.m., a source close to the investigation said.

Police said they were conducting "death investigations," and cautioned about drawing any connections to Hale, who is awaiting sentencing for trying to solicit the judge's murder. Sources said Michael Lefkow and Humphrey were found together, each was shot once in the head. No weapon was recovered, but police found two .22 caliber casings.

Security at the Lefkow home--including a camera mounted outside the home and guards posted on the block in unmarked cars--had been beefed up after the allegations against Hale emerged in January 2003. But neighbors said the extra measures tailed off about the time Hale was convicted in April 2004.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0503010123mar01,0,4913954.story

[DarthDem]

21. Thanks - - I Should Have Been Clearer

I did remember the very sad details of the incident. I was looking to find out what had happened in the aftermath, since (as I thought) that was several years ago now.

It has always amazed me that legislators and judges do not have government-funded protection. Too much of a tax burden, I guess, for the wingnuts.

[spag68]

4. judge threats

You don't think that maybe it has something to do with the rethugs and their constant drumbeat about "activist" judges?

[Pushed To The Left]

6. That's the first thing I thought of. n/t

[keepCAblue]

12. Ann Coulter: "Someone should poison Justice Stevens." n/t

[Swagman]

24. this woman keeps advocating murder.

[SpankMe]

19. You're right....

It looks like a vast majority of the people threatening judges are right wingers. This supports the case that conservatives are a criminal class.

[Aragorn]

25. whoa! You deserve a spanking

Please! It is much more accurate to say that the criminal class - at least caucasians - in the US - most likely to engage in threats against judges or other icons of government - is mostly "ultra-conservative/extremist" in stance. Not the other way around as you posted.

Although even that points out the crazy use of semantics in the entire debate.

"Criminal" is enough to describe those who break or advocate violence to "correct" laws. All sides need to remember that.

[PSPS]

5. Thanks, also, goes to the daily blanketing of the country with RW crazy-talk radio.

As G. Gordon Liddy himself told his listeners, "Now if the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms comes to disarm you and they are bearing arms, resist them with arms. Go for a head shot; they're going to be wearing bulletproof vests." ... "They've got a big target on there, ATF. Don't shoot at that, because they've got a vest on underneath that. Head shots, head shots.... Kill the sons of bitches."

And it's just gotten worse over the years. The filth that pours out all day every day year in and year out has to play a role in this rise in craziness.

[DeSwiss]

11. Bingo.

[annabanana]

7. These RW fringers are positively encouraged to

disregard and disrespect federal judges.. No wonder the rate of attacks is up.

[liberalmuse]

8. The only group of people I know of who make death threats...

and are prone to acts of ideological violence, such shooting doctors, judges and blowing up abortion clinics and government buildings happen to be right wing extremists. I'm not really surprised. They spew hatred, bigotry and talk about enacting violence towards those who do not believe the way they do every single day on the am radio dial. They have no respect for the rule of law, support pre-emptive strikes on civilians, advocate torture and believe the end justifies the means. They are our own homegrown terrorists.

[Stellabella]

13. Yes, exactly.

You know you're on the right side when the other side is the one making death threats.

[bluestateguy]

9. This is what happens when you permit abuse of free speech

Invective and vitriol against "activist" judges by talk radio hosts and bloggers only pushes fragile people over the edge into thinking that this kind of behavior is acceptable.

[bushmeister0]

14. It's those damn Uyghurs! The worst of the worst.

Not in my neighborhood!

[Cronus Protagonist]

15. They sure write loosely in that paper

"disgruntled defendants whose anger is fueled by the Internet" - how does the Internet fuel anything. It's not even a valid metaphor. That's like saying driver rage is fueled by the road. Of course it isn't and any write worth his job title ought to know that. If anyone has had their anger fueled by anything, it is by other people egging them on, and the anger has nothing whatsoever to do with the common carrier of data that we call the Internet.

[tiny elvis]

16. truth nt

[Aragorn]

26. which just shows...

that the judges et al don't get it either. While it does not justify violence or threats, the total cluelessness (or, if you prefer, lack of empathy) by The System fuels the frustration of the masses. Some of whom explode intermittently.

IED = Intermittently Exploding D****** ???

[No Elephants]

27. I had that thought regarding people who "don't respect" federal authority. Then again,

journalism simply is not what it once was in any respect. Poor word choices are the least of it.

sigh.

[Downwinder]

17. Breakdown of law and order.

As Justice Louis D. Brandeis wrote, The Government sets the example, if the Government does not obey the law, nobody will, then you will have anarchy.

[tj2001]

18. "How much justice can you afford?"

I'd say most middle-class and working-class people have very little trust in the judicial system... It's a systemic issue.

[47of74]

20. Thank you so very much Mr. DeLay

[L0oniX]

22. Can you really expect people to respect the law when our leaders get away with war crimes?

[Necon-Be-Gone]

23. 20 million Ditto Heads

listen to Rush spewing hate every day.