MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee County’s chief judge says the killing of retired Juneau County Judge John Roemer shows the need to improve security for judges and court commissioners.
Judges are well protected inside their workplaces with several layers of security. The Milwaukee County Courthouse requires everyone who enters to go through metal detectors. Deputies also staff the building and courtrooms that are in use, but whether judges can stay safe in their own homes is now in question.
“This is an incredibly troubling event and I expect that judges, but also public officials in lots of other capacities, are going to be looking at this and assessing whether that means there should be any changes,” said Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul.
Attorney General Kaul said it’s time to revisit the protective measures Wisconsin has in place for judges and public officials after a recent uptick in attacks.
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Two years ago, a disgruntled man shot and killed a New Jersey judge’s son after finding the judge’s personal information online. That tragic incident led to legislation that would protect federal judges and their families’ personal information from being posted on the internet. However, the bill is currently stalled in Congress because Kentucky Senator Rand Paul wants it to include lawmakers.
Several states have made their own laws to protect the safety of judicial staff. A decade ago, Illinois passed a law that allows judges to ask the state to have their personal information, including home addresses, removed from the internet and it has to be done within five days.
A Virginia law automatically elevates an assault from a misdemeanor to a felony if the victim is a judge. In Texas, any police officer has clearance to provide personal security to judges who have received threats.
"All of us in public official positions are thinking about the violence that we're seeing, and my wife as well,” Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said.
County Executive Crowley joins AG Kaul in saying it’s time to start the conversation in Wisconsin about the safety of public officials, but he didn’t say whether that means providing them with personal security at their homes.
“This is unfortunate,” he said. “We're talking about a public servant who was doing nothing more than what he was tasked to do in his role as a judge and so anyone who has seen a judge or seen a police officer and has been held accountable for their actions should not be in turn looking to create some kind of violence in retaliation."
Milwaukee County’s chief judge says her office is working with law enforcement and others to make sure judges are safe, but she declined to comment on those ongoing security efforts.
