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Jewish World Review April 15, 2005 / 6 Nisan, 5765 Cost of protecting judges competes with pork By Dan Abrams
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
It's time for Congress to put up or shut up when it comes to protecting our nation's federal judges. While everyone wants to be the first to condemn the recent attacks and intimidation of judges, when it comes to actually doing something about it, protecting our judges becomes a back seat issue.
Well not to me.
This week, Congress is busy divvying up about $80 billion in emergency funds— most of it is going to Iraq and Afghanistan. But buried in there, beneath various pork projects, is a $12 million request from Chief Justice William Rehnquist to pay for surveillance and security systems in federal judges' homes. Only six weeks after Federal Judge Joan Lefkow's family members were found murdered in her home in Chicago, and one month after a state judge was killed in his courtroom in Atlanta, it's hard to believe that this is even an issue, but it is.
The $12 million wouldn't even include additional funds to ensure the U.S. Marshals Service, which has been understaffed and underfunded for years. This could finally beef up protection of this country's 1,800 federal judges in the courthouse and in their homes. Our nation's judges are scared. A federal appeals court judge wrote in an editorial last week saying "Judges know the Constitution will protect us from being removed from office or having our salaries reduced because of disagreement with our decisions, but none expects that upholding justice will evoke violence against us or our loved ones."
Even the Supreme Court justices are showing concern. A letter to Congress in the judicial conference headed by Chief Justice William Rehnquist stated that at the present time, federal judges across the country are feeling particularly vulnerable, not only for themselves but also for their families. On Tuesday, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy asked Congress for an additional $639,000 to pay for another officer on the high court's front plaza and for 24-hour patrols around the Supreme Court building.
But unfortunately, when it's time to hand out money in Washington, these efforts are competing with requests that various politicians hope to bring home to their districts. Examples of what might take priority include $55 million for waste water treatment in Mississippi, $25 million for a fish hatchery in Montana, $2.5 million for broadcasting transmission equipment in Tajikistan, $1.8 million to study flood damage in Hawaii, and half a million for desalination technology in Nevada.
Now some of these may be valid requests, but it's about priorities.
Even $12 million isn't near enough but at least it's a start. Our judges shouldn't have to worry that their public service will cost them or their loved ones their lives.
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JWR contributor Dan Abrams anchors “The Abrams Report,” Monday through Friday from 6-7 p.m. ET on MSNBC TV. He also covers legal stories for “NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw,” “Today” and “Dateline NBC.” To visit his website, click here. Comment by clicking here.
© 2005, MSNBC |
Arnold Ahlert | |||||||||||
