Mobile UPI  |   About UPI  |   UPI en Español  |   UPI Arabic  |   UPIU  |   My Account
Search:
Go

Threats against federal judges increase

|
|
 
  
Published: May 29, 2009 at 7:11 PM

WASHINGTON, May 29 (UPI) -- Threats against U.S. judges have increased significantly in recent years, officials said.

The U.S. Marshals Service says the number of threats against federal judges and prosecutors has climbed from 500 in 2003 to 1,278 in 2008, CNN reported Friday. Officials said 2009 is expected to have an even higher number of reported threats.

"I received some threats in a case about a bear hunt that I refused to stop from animal rights activists. I also received some after I issued a Second Amendment opinion," said U.S. District Court Judge Reggie Walton in Washington.

In response to threats against Walton, the U.S. Marshals Service, which is responsible for the protection of federal judges, installed a surveillance system at Walton's house.

"You can't let it impede on what you do as a judge, but obviously you're concerned about your security and the security of your family, so you do take it seriously," he was quoted by CNN as saying.

Topics: Reggie Walton
Recommended Stories
© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
  
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
The Tibetan Moniam Festival in China Super Bowl XLVI ticker tape victory parade The making of the Oscars
The Chicago Auto Show The Most Desirable Women of 2012 Tu Bishvat Migron settlement
Additional Top News Stories
1 of 19
Tiger Woods plays Spyglass Hill in the AT&T Pro-Am in Pebble Beach, California
View Caption
fark
Michelle Obama can hold the mystery meat when she prys it from my cold dead hands ...Wait, that...
Mississippi Rep. wants the Gulf Of Mexico renamed the 'Gulf Of America', raising a glimmer of hope...
Pot smoking drivers 'twice as likely to cause car crash'. Really really slow car crashes
Get ready, it's time for the Fark Weird News Quiz. #suckitBBC
Greek MPs resigning left, right and far-right over the latest demands from EZ finance ministers....
Don't you hate it when you visit your mother's grave and discover they're about to bury someone...