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1 1 (June 17, 2022)

handle is hein.crs/goveidy0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional ____ aResearch Service Security of the Federal Judiciary: Background and Recent Congressional Legislation Updated June 17, 2022 The July 2020 fatal attack of a family member at the home of a federal judge in New Jersey has continued to prompt calls for enhanced security for federal judges and their families. This attack underscored ongoing concerns related to judicial security, particularly given the increase in the number of threats against federal judges and other judiciary personnel. Specifically, according to the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), there were 4,511 threats and inappropriate communications against federal judges, other federal court employees, and jurors during FY2021. This represented a 387% increase over threats and inappropriate communications that occurred during 2015 (when there were 926 such incidents). Most recently, in May 2022, following the unauthorized release of a controversial draft opinion for a case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court and protests related to the draft opinion, an 8-foot nonscalable fence was erected around the Supreme Court building. Attorney General Merrick Garland also directed the USMS to provide around-the-clock security for the Court's Justices, including at their private residences. These measures were not taken to prevent peaceful protests, but to deter what Attorney General Garland described as violence or threats of violence against judges and other public servants. Agencies Responsible for Judicial Security Security for the federal judiciary is handled by several different entities. The vast majority of the security is handled by two executive branch agencies, the USMS and the Federal Protective Service (FPS). Specifically, USMS, an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice, is responsible for ensuring the safe and secure conduct of judicial proceedings and for protecting federal judges, jurors, and other members of the federal judiciary (including offsite, as needed). Overall, the USMS protects approximately 2,700 federal judges and approximately 30,300 federal prosecutors and other court officials. The agency is also responsible, generally, for the interior security of 888 federal courthouses and other judicial facilities. FPS, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security, provides perimeter security at federal courthouses. This security may include, to varying degrees, entry screening, perimeter patrols, garage access control, and mail screening. In general, the judicial security provided by USMS and FPS is for the U.S. Court of International Trade, U.S. courts of appeals, U.S. district courts, and other lower federal courts. Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov IN11947 CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress

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