Media

Sheriff's Office Office Assists U.S. Marhshal in Courtroom Security Effort

Release Date: January 9, 2006

Memphis area law enforcement officials met today to discuss sharing of information on threats to federal, state, and local judges and other high-ranking government officials, as well as downtown government facilities.

The meeting, hosted by the United States Marshals Service for the Western District of Tennessee and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, will allow law enforcement agencies to share information on threats to all levels of the judiciary, and high-ranking government officials and downtown Memphis judicial and government buildings.

“In the past,” according to David Jolley, United States Marshal for the Western District of Tennessee, “when one of the federal judges or U.S. Attorney received a threat or inappropriate communication, we would assess the seriousness of the threat and take the appropriate measures to investigate further or place a protective detail on the judge or U.S. Attorney.”

“We haven’t always shared information on potential threats to the judicial officials with other law enforcement agencies. This working group will enable us to quickly and efficiently share information on potentially threatening or unusual behavior,” Marshal Jolley added.

In February 2005, disgruntled litigant Bart Ross killed the husband and mother of Chicago U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow. Ross had sued the medical industry over the course of approximately ten years, blaming it for leaving his face disfigured after cancer treatment. Judge Lefkow was one of the judges that had ruled against Ross.

There were signs of Ross’ increasing anger at the legal system and government officials over the course of his legal battle, but the signs were scattered to different agencies. “We are trying to prevent the next Bart Ross by doing all we can to identify and being alert to those that may want to take out their hostilities towards a judge or government official, Marshal Jolley stated. “Hopefully this working group can pull those scattered signs together before something bad happens.”

A number of incidents at courthouses and government buildings over the past year also played heavily into the formation of the working group. In Tyler, Texas, a man being sued for child support shot and killed his ex-wife on the Smith County Courthouse steps in February 2006. Less than a week later the attack on Judge Lefkow’s family occurred in Chicago. A few days later, Brian Nichols killed a state judge and three others in an escape from an Atlanta courthouse. Then in June, a man walked into a Seattle federal courthouse with an inert grenade. He was shot by officers. These are just a few of the large number of incidents in courthouses around the U.S. in 2005.

Such incidents led U.S. Marshal Jolley and Captain Dale Lane of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department to began talking about ways for their departments to work closer together on judicial security to prevent such incidents. Both helped found the Tennessee Gang Investigators Association in 1998 to better share gang and subversive group intelligence information among law enforcement agencies across the state. Through their gang investigation backgrounds, both know well the value of sharing intelligence information.

“The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to join the United States Marshals Service in this effort to enhance the safety of the courts. We, too, have made recent strides to strengthen the safety of the courts in Shelby County.

Not only have our deputies received very specific and advanced training in courtroom security techniques, but through our Homeland Security Division, have fortified the entrances to the court buildings in downtown Memphis. It is our priority to keep judges, courtroom personnel and visitors as safe as possible,” said Shelby County Sheriff Mark H. Luttrell, Jr.

The group will also look at security of buildings that contain the judiciary and other high-ranking public officials such as the City and County Mayors, as well as other governmental buildings that be threatened. Thus, security officials for the City and County administration buildings, the State of Tennessee office building, and the Federal Reserve will also be a part of the group.

The group will also study best practices for courtroom security, handling bomb and potential terror threats, current security technology, handling high-profile and sequestered jury trials, prisoner handling, and other related issues.

The U.S. Marshals provide protection for over 2000 judges at more than 400 court facilities throughout the nation. In FY ’04, the Marshals Service reviewed and processed 674 threats/inappropriate communications to federal judges and coordinated security for 136 high-threat trials, many of which were terrorism-related cases.

Participating members of the working group include the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, U.S. Marshals Service, Memphis Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Federal Reserve, City Hall Security, and Tennessee State Office Building Security.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
CONTACT:

Don R. Hankinson
Deputy U.S. Marshal/PIO
(901) 544-4053
(901) 544-3304