Courthouse Violence: The View from the Bench

Courthouse violence can be divided into two broad categories: incidents that are opportunistic and unpremeditated and those that are premeditated. With planning and adequate security measures, opportunistic incidents can be greatly diminished, but it is difficult to be secure from premeditated incidents. Providing sufficient security to make courthouses safe is not a simple matter. Our justice system rests upon acceptance of the impartiality, fairness, and independence of our judiciary. Too much security undermines that image if it appears that our courts are being held hostage by violence and threats of violence. Too little security, however, leads to a lack of general respect for the law if order cannot be maintained. The challenge is to effect appropriate defenses without compromising the justice system.