Federal Judges to Discuss Growing Personal Threats and Security Concerns at National Press Club Newsmaker Event, 10 a.m., Monday, August 30th

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Aug 27, 2010, 08:57 ET

Federal Administrative Law Judges Who Handle Immigration Cases and Social Security Disability Claims Will Discuss Threats and Attacks on Judges and Lax Security in Federal Courtrooms and Facilities, Suggest Improvements

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Hon. Randall Frye, Pres. of the Assn. of Administrative Law Judges and a federal judge with the Social Security Administration based in Charlotte, N.C. and the Hon. Dana Leigh Marks, Pres. of the National Assn. of Immigration Judges and a federal immigration judge in the Department of Justice based in San Francisco, will release new data on threats and attacks directed at federal administrative law judges and will discuss concerns by judges about the level of safety in federal courtrooms where Social Security and Immigration cases are heard at a National Press Club Newsmakers press conference, Monday, August 30, at 10 a.m., in the Zenger Room of the National Press Club, 13^th Floor, National Press Building, 529 14th St., N.W., Washington, D.C.

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Attacks on federal workers have increased over the past year, with high-profile incidents at the Pentagon, an IRS building in Texas and a federal building in Las Vegas. Threats on judicial employees have become so commonplace that the U.S. Marshal's Service has opened a clearinghouse to deal with these threats. Between March and August of last year, 28 threats were recorded on Social Security offices that handle disability hearings and in the same period 10 individual judges who hear disability claims were threatened. Threats to the wives and children of judges also has been reported. In January, a gunman, possibly upset about a reduction in his Social Security benefits, killed a U.S. courthouse security guard and injured a deputy marshal in Las Vegas.

Judges have reported chairs being thrown at them, their robes being grabbed while on the bench and one respondent in an Immigration hearing reportedly attempted suicide in front of the judge.

Complicating matters and increasing security risks is the fact that most Social Security and Immigration judges do not have a bailiff or a security guard in their courtrooms and many of these facilities are only protected by private security guards. A large number of these courtrooms are now located in leased office space rather than government buildings.

Claimants and respondents appearing before these judges face tremendous consequences from decisions rendered. The average lifetime payout of a Social Security disability claim is roughly $250,000; in contrast, many of those who are denied become impoverished or homeless. Immigration judges can banish long-term residents or remove people who fear persecution in their homelands. They routinely handle cases where an applicant has a criminal record, a history of mental or competency issues or has been the victim of domestic violence. Nationwide, the majority of the respondents in Immigration proceedings are not represented by counsel.

The backlog for hearing dates in both courts can stretch two years or longer.

In addition to releasing new data and describing the working conditions in these courts at Monday's Newsmaker, judges will make recommendations on how to improve security for administrative law judges.

SOURCE National Press Club