In the line of fire: Protecting the U.S. judiciary

In the line of fire: Protecting the U.S. judiciary
A U.S. Marshal stands guard outside a federal courthouse; the agency is charged with protecting the federal judiciary. AP/Ted Warren
In the line of fire: Protecting the U.S. judiciary
A U.S. Marshal stands guard outside a federal courthouse; the agency is charged with protecting the federal judiciary. AP/Ted Warren

In the line of fire: Protecting the U.S. judiciary

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In the days following the Arizona shootings that killed six, including federal judge John Roll, a name familiar to Chicagoans also began to circulate. Judge Joan Lefkow has been a district court judge in Illinois’ Northern District since 2000. In 2005, her mother and husband were killed by a plaintiff in a medical malpractice case brought before Lefkow.

Following their brutal deaths, the Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on security for judges and other officers of the court. Now, the U.S. Marshals Service works in conjunction with a panel of officials to improve judicial security.

The chair of that subcommittee is the Hon. Michael S. Kanne. He sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals in the 7th Circuit— which is based in Chicago.He joined host Alison Cuddy to discuss issues of judicial security.