A bipartisan coalition of 47 state attorneys general, led by New Jersey’s Matthew J. Platkin, is urging Congress to increase funding for the protection of federal judges amid record-high threats.
In a letter to congressional leaders, the coalition cited a critical need for resources.
“As threats against federal judges reach all-time highs, Congress must take immediate action,” said Platkin, referencing the 2020 murder of Judge Esther Salas’s son, Daniel Anderl, in New Jersey.
Funding for the Judiciary’s Court Security program has been frozen for two years, hampering security officer salaries, monitoring systems, and infrastructure.
The attorneys general also seek funds for the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act, a 2022 law that restricts the sale of judges’ personal data.
The push follows Chief Justice John Roberts’s 2024 year-end report on rising threats, a trend continuing into 2025 with over 100 judges reporting intimidation tactics, including harassing deliveries to their homes.
While the goal of judicial security is broadly supported, measures like the federal Anderl Act and similar state laws, such as New Jersey’s “Daniel’s Law,” have faced legal and practical challenges.
Critics, including news media and public transparency advocates, argue these statutes can be overly broad, infringing on First Amendment rights and the public’s right to know.
Opponents contend that overly restrictive privacy for public officials can hinder legitimate journalism, academic research, and public accountability.
In New Jersey, Daniel’s Law has been challenged by a range of corporate defendants in state and federal court, arguing it imposes undue burdens on data collectors and publishers.
The core tension lies in balancing the safety of public servants with the principles of open government and free speech.
The attorneys general coalition, co-led by officials from Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Minnesota, and West Virginia, emphasizes the urgent need for resources despite these ongoing debates, framing security funding as a non-partisan imperative for the functioning of the judiciary.
Federal judges are protected primarily by the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), which handles threat assessment, investigations, and physical security for judges, prosecutors, and courthouses nationwide, using measures from courthouse security to residential systems, while also responding to rising threats with new legislation like the Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act.
Security involves proactive intelligence, physical protection (like guards and tech), training for judges, and managing threats to ensure judicial independence.