Patrick Leahy: “last May, the Judiciary Committee heard the courageous testimony of Judge Joan Lefkow of Chicago. She is the Federal…”

“last May, the Judiciary Committee heard the courageous testimony of Judge Joan Lefkow of Chicago. She is the Federal judge whose mother and husband were murdered in their home. The tragedy that befell Judge Lefkow and her family is a terrible reminder not only of the vulnerable position of our judges and their families, but of the critical importance of protecting judges where they work and where they and their families live. We cannot tolerate and no one should excuse or justify--violence or the threat of violence against our judges. I was appalled earlier this year when right-wing activists compared judges to terrorists and the KKK and threatened them with punishment for decisions they did not like, even quoting Joseph Stalin's violent answer to anyone who opposed his totalitarianism by urging the formula of ``No man, No problem.'' Stalin killed those with whom he disagreed. This rhetoric can only foster unacceptable violence against Judges and it must stop, for the sake of our Judges and the independence of the judiciary. We ought to be protecting judges physically and institutionally rather than taking rhetorical pot shots that put judges in real danger and that attack the very independence of our federal judiciary. When I chaired the Judiciary Committee in 2001, one of the first things I did was push for passage of the Judicial Protection Act, which toughened criminal penalties for assaults against judges and their families. We enacted it.…”