#judicial-security

#judicial-security

Senior U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow of the Northern District of Illinois is presiding over the trial of Juan Espinoza Martinez, who is accused of soliciting the murder of Bovino, according to a story by CBS News. The trial begins this week. Investigators allege that Martinez sent Snapchat messages offering a bounty of $2,000 for information and $10,000 more "if you take him down," along with a photo of Bovino, according to CBS News.

* Lower court judges face escalating threats, so they will receive NO additional security. But Congress will increase Supreme Court security so they can safely continue to put lower court judges at risk. [ ABA Journal] * UK getting rid of jury trials for most crimes in order to clear backlog. [ Legal Cheek] * Lawyer arrested as cruise turns into fight club. [ The Independent] * Trump administration threats against Senator Kelly face "hurdles" to the extent Kelly... committed no crime when he accurately described military law. [ Reuters]

A 72-year-old man was charged with threatening to assault and kill a federal judge in Minnesota, the Justice Departmentsaid Tuesday, after a summer marked by two high-profile shootings in the state and amid growing concern about threats against judges. Law enforcement responded Wednesday after Robert Phillip Ivers printed copies of a 236-page "manifesto" at a library in Wayzata- a Minneapolis suburb - titled "How to Kill a Federal Judge," according to prosecutors. The document allegedly described killing judges and children and names at least two federal judges.

"As Donald Trump has escalated his attacks on federal judges, their safety and security are increasingly at risk. If judges alter their decisions out of fear for the safety of themselves and their families, then we no longer live under the rule of law," Goldman said.