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
“We are grateful to be alive,” said Julie Kocurek, the presiding judge of the 390th District Court 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’t 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.
“It’s a sign of the times,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), whose legislation to address an “alarming spike” in threats against judges and courts recently passed the U.S. Senate unanimously, 100-0. “People have a grudge, an axe to grind. The courts are not viewed as impartial anymore.”
The unprecedented increase 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 UNT 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
“This will save lives,” Cornyn said, referring to his bill, the Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act, following an emotional and eye-opening panel discussion.
As Judge Kocurek and her son shared their story of survival, the audience sat stoically silent, hanging on every word. “It was chaos and horror. I told her ‘goodbye’,” said Will Kocurek, now 24. “It was a very dark time for our family.”
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 back on the bench. 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.
“These are often disgruntled litigants who cannot accept the outcome of legal proceedings,” said Karen Mitchell, the longtime clerk of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. “They are enemies of democracy and the rule of law.”
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.
“Federal assistance is needed to help states ward off security threats,” 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. “More secure judicial
facilities will benefit not only judges and court personnel, but everyone.”
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, was shot and killed in San Antonio, Texas, in May 1979. It was the first time that a federal judge was assassinated in the U.S.
Charles Harrelson, the father of actor Woody 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’s death, scores of judges, prosecutors and other judicial
staff have been the targets of similar violence and countless threats. “Some are overt. Some are subtle,” said Kenda Culpepper, Rockwall County District
Attorney. “The real terror begins when threats extend to our families.”
Texas Senator John Cornyn pushes for better security through new legislation
Culpepper helped prosecute 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 were murdered in the family’s 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’s 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 Judge Julie Kocurek Judicial and Courthouse Security Act of 2017, 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. “There’s an aggressiveness now,” 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’s 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’t come soon enough.
“Justice will prevail over evil,” said Jessica Nickel, representing the National Center for State Courts.
From UNT Dallas – Law News