WHEREAS: 

Judicial workers — including clerical and administrative staff, interpreters, operations and custodial workers, prosecuting attorneys, public defenders, law clerks, security professionals and others — are responsible for vital work that makes our nation’s courts and justice system function; and 

WHEREAS: 

AFSCME represents thousands of court workers across the nation and across the full range of occupations in the justice system and is the nation’s leading voice for judicial workers; and  

WHEREAS: 

Our judicial system is a cornerstone of our democracy and the rule of law. The right of every American to seek justice and redress for harms done to them, the right of any accused person to due process and the rights of all of us to access forums for the resolution of disputes based on facts and equal treatment under law should be considered inviolable; and 

WHEREAS: 

Judicial workers today face an unprecedented wave of violent threats and intimidation. Threats against federal judges doubled from 2021 to 2023, according to the U.S. Marshals Service, with threats against other court personnel rising at similar rates. State and local courts across the country report sharply higher numbers of threats, such as a 66% increase in judicial threats and other incidents investigated by New York’s state court system in 2023; and 

WHEREAS: 

Although judicial workers have always faced a risk of threats from the parties to legal cases, court officers from across the political spectrum now report spikes in threats numbering in the hundreds, in connection with politically charged situations, such as the adjudication of the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol rioters; and 

WHEREAS: 

Court systems have, for decades, been urged by judicial associations and organizations to adopt laws and policies, train staff and take other measures needed to enhance court security and protect court personnel; and 

WHEREAS: 

Twenty-four states proposed legislation to address court and judicial security concerns in 2024. Among these, 11 bills were passed by state legislatures; and  

WHEREAS: 

Safety and security in the courts is critical to maintaining public confidence in the justice system. A free society must protect those it asks to carry out public policies and the public will from threats and intimidation, or else we risk losing our freedom to those willing to use violence to impose their will on all of us. 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: 

AFSCME stands with its judicial members and all court system personnel in insisting on their right to do their jobs free from threats, violence and intimidation, including politically motivated attacks, as a fundamental condition of maintaining our free and democratic society; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: 

AFSCME urges Congress to pass legislation to protect judicial workers and court systems from threats and violence at the federal, state and local levels; and 

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED: 

AFSCME calls on state and local officials to take all steps necessary to ensure the safety and security of their court employees, including adopting laws and policies, funding security measures, providing training and support to court employees and prosecuting those who make such threats. 

SUBMITTED BY:
Mary E. Sullivan, President and Delegate 
Richard Bebo, Secretary and Delegate 
CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000 
New York