Nov. 6, 2023 – ​In recent years, there has been an increase in reports of threats and acts of violence against judges, attorneys, and other court officials. Court officials must often make decisions that affect the life, liberty, and financial affairs of litigants, and by doing so, can place themselves at risk of retribution. That risk can end in tragedy, as was the case October 19 when Maryland judge Andew Wilkinson was shot and killed in his own driveway, or in June 2022 when retired Juneau County Circuit Court Judge John Roemer was murdered in his own home.

Court and judicial security has been a top priority for Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Annette Ziegler, who recently spoke about it during her annual State of the Judiciary address at the 2023 Wisconsin Judicial Conference. Zeigler said her “vision is that we will have a robust security infrastructure…in an effort to avoid and detect problems and become aware of and understand threats before they are realized.”

In 2022, Zeigler convened a Judicial Security Task Force. Some of the recommendations considered by the task force were to grant law enforcement authority and expand the supreme court’s marshal’s office (currently a single marshal), and to increase funding for cybersecurity initiatives. In her speech, Ziegler said that while the legislature did include funding for cybersecurity initiatives in its budget, they were reluctant to create a new law enforcement agency. However, she continued “to make the case for other security initiatives. Those initiatives included the possibility of establishing a dignitary unit within the State Patrol or Capitol Police.”

Court security is an issue that extends beyond secure courthouse buildings and protections for judicial members. In several statewide surveys of attorneys conducted between 2006 and 2017, anywhere from one-third to one-half of respondents reported being the target of violence or a threat of violence. The State Bar’s recent publication Reduce Your Risk: A Guide to Personal Safety and Security for the Legal Community is one way the State Bar is working to help members make informed decisions that can minimize risks they face, whether online or at the office, in a courthouse, or while traveling or at home.

Another way you can get involved in increasing court security is by contacting your legislators and sharing your personal experiences and suggestions. Use the Advocacy Network’s “Send a Message to Wisconsin Elected Officials” option to choose which officials you’d like to contact, and share your thoughts and ideas on how to ensure that our courts, court officials, and judiciary can continue to administer justice safely to the people of Wisconsin. Frequent and repeated messages on this topic will ensure that legislators remain aware of these safety concerns within their communities and hopefully translate into increased resources for the courts and those who work within the system in future legislative sessions.