New Act Creates National Center to Track and Counter Threats Against State and Local Judges

The Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act is a straightforward piece of legislation aimed at beefing up security for state and local judges and court staff. Essentially, it mandates the creation of a new, centralized security hub: the State Judicial Threat Intelligence and Resource Center. This center isn't just a suggestion; the State Justice Institute (SJI) is required to help set it up and fund it.

The New Gatekeepers of Court Security

To run this new center, the bill is very specific about who qualifies. It can’t be just any group; it has to be a national nonprofit already providing technical security help and training across state and local court systems. Think of it as a quality control check: this group must already be an expert in everything from court design security standards to understanding how different courts operate—from big city trial courts to small-town rural courts and specialized limited-jurisdiction courts (SEC. 2). This ensures that the security advice they hand out isn't theoretical, but grounded in real-world court operations.

What the Threat Center Will Actually Do

This new center is designed to be the central nervous system for judicial security. Its primary job is to protect judges and court personnel who increasingly face threats because of their work. The core functions are comprehensive (SEC. 3):

First, it will provide training and technical assistance—think security guides, safety education for everyone from judges to local police, and even physical security checks for courtrooms and judges’ homes. Second, it’s tasked with active threat monitoring and coordinating with federal, state, and local law enforcement to neutralize those threats before they escalate. This means better communication between your local police and the court system.

Crucially, the center will also standardize threat reporting across the country. Right now, how a threat is reported in one state might be completely different from another. This standardization, done in partnership with local law enforcement and fusion centers (those information-sharing hubs), should make tracking and responding to threats much more efficient.

Building the National Threat Database

Perhaps the most significant change is the requirement to create a national database to track and share information on threats and incidents targeting state and local judicial officers and staff. For the average person, this means that if a known threat-maker moves from one state to another, the new court system they interact with will hopefully have access to that security intelligence. This centralization of sensitive security data requires robust oversight, but the goal is clearly to give courts a proactive tool to manage security risks.

The Accountability Check

Once these centers are up and running, the SJI is required to send an annual report to Congress (specifically the Judiciary Committees) (SEC. 4). This isn't just a status update; they must detail the number of threats judicial members and court staff are facing, broken down by type and severity. This annual report serves as a reality check, providing policymakers with hard data on the scope of the problem and ensuring accountability for the resources invested in the new centers. Ultimately, this bill is about making sure the people who uphold the law can do their jobs without constant fear, which benefits the entire justice system.