Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Panel: Threats to Judges Have Risen Sharply; Courts Urged to Improve Practical Protections
Summary
Judges and security experts at a Seattle symposium told peers that threats to federal and state judges have climbed in recent years, with U.S. Marshals complaints rising from about 224 in 2021 to several hundred in later years; speakers urged better data collection, local security upgrades and coordinated public education.
At a University of Washington symposium on threats to the judiciary, panelists from both the federal and state benches warned that threats to judges and their families have increased markedly, and urged practical, near-term steps to protect court personnel and facilities.
A judge speaking on the panel summarized U.S. Marshals Service review counts, saying, “The numbers in 2021, there were about 224” and then noting later totals “403” for 2022, “630” for 2023, “509” for 2024 and “564” for 2025; for fiscal 2026 the judge reported “256 so far.” He added that the Marshal's categories distinguish credible from serious threats and that about “396 unique judges” have been affected out of roughly 650–700 U.S. district judges, underscoring the breadth of the problem.
The symposium mixed statistical briefing, personal testimony and practical proposals. Retired judges who spoke for the Article 3 Coalition described…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
