Some state judges turn to guns amid rise in threats against them
In an environment of surging threats against members of the judiciary, some state judges say they don’t feel adequately protected, and some are carrying guns to defend themselves if necessary. (Image from Shutterstock)
In an environment of surging threats against members of the judiciary, some state judges say they don't feel adequately protected, and some are carrying guns to defend themselves if necessary, according to a story by the New York Times.
There are about 2,700 federal judges, and threats against them are tracked by the U.S. Marshals Service.
But there’s no centralized security force tracking threats against state judges or protecting them, even though the estimated 30,000 state judges handle some of the most contentious cases in the country.
While federal judges benefit from high-level threat monitoring and subsidized professional home security systems, state judges typically rely on local law enforcement agencies for help and pay out of their pockets for those services, according to the New York Times.
Some state judges say they had spent thousands of dollars to protect their homes after receiving death threats, according to the New York Times. Many of the judges interviewed said they felt that local authorities were not equipped to investigate threats, and that judges were not given enough security training. Several judges interviewed said local authorities had advised them to arm themselves.
A 2024 judicial survey of hundreds of state judges found that nearly one-third of those who responded said they carried a gun for protection, according to the New York Times.
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