Statement Addressing Threats, Retaliation and Violence Against Lawyers, Judges, Public Officials and Other Participants in Our Court System
Threats to lawyers, judges and other public officials are increasing. These threats go beyond angry words and acts of harassment and intimidation. Lawyers, judges, public officials and even members of their families have been physically attacked, in some cases leading to serious bodily injury and death. Such assaults harm everyone. The measures used to counter threats, retaliation and acts of violence must evolve to meet the methods and tools being used in such actions today. The time is now to address these issues.
The North Carolina Bar Association recognizes that vigorous criticism of lawyers, judges, public officials, and government institutions is a fundamental and essential feature of our form of government. However, harassment, retaliation, physical threats and acts of violence directed toward lawyers, judges, other public officials, court staff, jurors, witnesses, litigants, their families and others participating in our courts undermine our judicial system and our ability to resolve disputes and questions of guilt through legal process. Accordingly, the Association opposes in the strongest terms all such harassment, retaliation, threats and acts of violence and supports the peaceful resolution of all legal disputes and matters through our legal system.
The Association also supports, at the conceptual level, measures that will strengthen protections for lawyers, the judiciary, other public officials, court staff, jurors, witnesses, litigants, their families and others participating in our courts. Recognizing that such measures should be carefully studied and take into account a variety of considerations, the Association’s President is directed to form a working group of Association members to identify and propose specific potential solutions that will serve the goal of curbing physical threats and acts of violence against lawyers, judges, other public officials, court staff, jurors, witnesses, litigants, their families and others participating in our courts. Members of the working group will be selected by the President to represent the Association’s broad range of views and practice areas. The group is directed to proceed diligently to develop draft policy proposals concerning these issues.