Courts

Judges Are Losing Sleep Over Security Concerns

And the problem has grown worse since COVID-19 took hold.

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gavel maskWhat is keeping judges awake at night? The No. 1 concern: safety. There has been a qualitative difference since the pandemic.

— Justice Emily Miskel of the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Dallas, Texas, in comments given to the Texas House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence on the issues that are most concerning to judges. “Courts are absolutely seeing behavioral problems and security incidents at a much higher level than we’ve seen prior to the pandemic,” Miskel said. “We’ve seen armed protests at judges’ houses with their families in Texas, and even at our United States Supreme Court, which has been unheard of.” Miskel indicated that the public’s mistrust of the judicial system, and the government at large, is what may be behind these issues.

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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