This article is in the news archives --- for current news go to the Third Branch News.
House Hearing on Court Security Bill
The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland
Security held a May 3, 2007, hearing on H.R. 660, the “Court Security
Improvement Act of 2007.” Judge David B. Sentelle (photo right), chair
of the Judicial Conference Committee on Judicial Security, testified on
behalf of the federal Judiciary. “The judicial security issues contained
in the Act continue to be critically important to the federal courts,”
Sentelle told the subcommittee. “Whenenacted,” he said, “this bill will
contribute significantly to the security of federal judges and their
families.”
Also testifying at the hearing were Chief Judge
Robert M. Bell of the Maryland Court of Appeals and John F. Clark,
director of the U.S. Marshals Service (photo left.) Last month, the
Senate passed its version of the Court Security Improvement Act of 2007,
S. 378. Both the House and Senate bills contain several important
Judicial Conference-supported security provisions, including new
penalties for the malicious filing of fictitious liens and a requirement
that the U.S Marshals Service consult with the Conference on matters
relating to court security.