Violence increasing against judges and prosecutors

WASHINGTON — Threats to federal judges and prosecutors have jumped dramatically, according to a government report issued Monday that found such threats more than doubled in the past six years.

The report was issued shortly before a gunman walked into a federal building in Las Vegas and opened fire, killing a court security officer and seriously wounding a deputy U.S. marshal.

The suspect was shot dead by other officers. Investigators say he believed he was discriminated against because he was black, and that he harbored a grudge against the government for reducing his Social Security benefits.

The report by Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine concluded that there are still major gaps in reporting and responding to threats. Concerns about security intensified five years ago after a man whose medical malpractice lawsuit was dismissed killed the husband and mother of a federal judge.

Between 2003 and 2008, the number of threats and inappropriate communications jumped from 592 to 1,278, the report found. The government defines “inappropriate communications” as messages that aren’t explicitly threatening but worrisome enough to require further investigation.

The federal court system has more than 2,000 judges and more than 5,000 prosecutors.

Prosecutors and judges “do not consistently and promptly report threats they receive,” the inspector general’s report found — estimating that as many as 25 percent of threats are not reported to security officials.

When those threats are reported, the U.S. Marshals do not consistently coordinate with local police, and in many cases don’t record ever having notified the FBI of the threats.

According to the marshals’ own threat database, there was no record of having notified the FBI of 40 percent of the threats, the report said.

The U.S. Marshals Service agreed with the inspector general’s recommendations to improve coordination with local and FBI officials, and to more thoroughly analyze each threat and take necessary protective measures.

Marshals spokesman Jeff Carter said the agency has “made great strides over the past few years in our judicial security mission, and as the U.S. Marshals Service believes there is always room to perfect the process, we will carry out the report’s recommendations with that goal in mind.”

Justice Department spokeswoman Melissa Schwartz said the agency is carefully examining the findings and “will take appropriate action to ensure the safety of all employees in the United States Attorneys’ offices.”

The review notes that no federal judges or prosecutors have been killed in the six-year period.