Court Security Reforms Clear Congress 

 

WASHINGTON (Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2007) – Congress today will send legislation to provide needed protections for federal judges, witnesses and officers from threats and attacks to the President’s desk for signature.

 

More than 11 months ago, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) introduced legislation in the Senate to establish new criminal penalties for the misuse of restricted personal information or for threatening or harming judges and their families.  The House passed similar legislation in July, but final action on the bill took extensive negotiations across the aisle, between the Houses of Congress and among Senate Republicans, and consumed many months.  The Senate Monday passed amended court security legislation and worked late Tuesday night to pass an additional measure addressing House “pay-go” concerns, to ensure House passage.  The House Wednesday then passed the final legislation, sending the bill to the President as Congress prepared to recess for the holidays.

 

“It’s been nearly a year since Senator Specter and I introduced this important legislation,” said Leahy.  “The independence and security of our courts are fundamentals of our system and essential in protecting our liberty and upholding the rule of law.  Threats to judges and to other participants in the judicial system are threats to us all.  Congress has now passed this crucial bill to protect court officials and their families from those who would try to harm or intimidate them, and I hope the President will promptly sign it so these reforms can be put into place.” 

 

“I commend Congress for passing this important legislation which provides for the security of our Federal judges,” Specter said.  “There is no doubt that there is an urgent need for additional court security, in light of a number of attacks on judges. The independence of our judiciary is fundamental in our society for the rule of law.”

 

In addition to imposing new criminal consequences, the Court Security Improvement Act also enhances penalties for tampering with or retaliating against witnesses, and it authorizes new resources to improve security for state and local courts. 

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Leahy’s statement on the Senate passage of the bill follows.

 

Statement Of Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.),
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee,
On House Passage Of The Court Security Improvement Act Of 2007
December 19, 2007

 

Earlier this week, the Senate passed a compromise version of the Court Security Improvement Act of 2007.  It took several months to negotiate the minor differences between the House and the Senate bills, simply because we were not allowed to go to conference.  Then we had to work for over a month to remove a hold placed on the legislation.  When it finally passed the Senate on Monday night, we expected that the House of Representatives would pass it without delay.  Unfortunately, one of the compromise provisions triggered a problem that would have prevented passage in the House.

We corrected that problem late last night with an enrolling resolution that strikes the provision of section 502 that caused a budgetary problem.  Fortunately, we were able to maintain the important provision of life insurance benefits for our dedicated Magistrate Judges. 

I appreciate the work of Senators Specter and Kyl to make sure that we were able to pass this resolution late last night and I look forward to the House of Representatives passing both the resolution and the Court Security Improvement Act without further delay.

I urge the President to sign this vital legislation, introduced eleven months ago, without delay so that we can protect the dedicated judges, and other personnel who serve as part of our nation’s justice system.  The security of our Federal judges and our courthouses around the nation is at stake.
 

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