Maryland Passes “Watered-Down Judicial Security Bill”

Ian Round reported in the Daily Record that MD lawmakers pass watered-down judicial security bill (Apr. 9, 2025).

The news article states that the bill “requires agencies that provide security to report to Maryland Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew Fader by the end of September with the number of security guards they need and a ‘viable plan’ to reach minimum standards.”

Under the original bill: “Every state court in Maryland would be protected by a security officer — eventually — under a bill pending in the General Assembly.  The bill would require at least one security guard in all juvenile, family and criminal court proceedings starting July 1, 2026, and at least one guard in every proceeding starting July 1, 2028.” Ian Round, MD bill would require security in every courtroom — eventually (Daily Record Feb. 25, 2025).  That article stated:

“This is an issue of critical safety — not just for judges, but for every single person who enters a judicial facility,” Maryland Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew Fader told the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on Feb. 12.

“We’re asking for what we think is a reasonable, minimal, acceptable standard,” Fader said. “Without regard to where the funding comes from, we think that this standard needs to be met.”

While no one appears to oppose the goals of the bill, some aren’t convinced the state can afford more security guards while it faces a $3 billion budget deficit this year.

“Under normal circumstances, I would be 100% supportive, without exception. The problem is we have a serious financial problem,” state Sen. Chris West, R-Baltimore County, said at the hearing.

Judges say the state needs to establish minimum standards in the wake of the murder of Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson, who was killed in his driveway in October 2023 by a man who had a divorce case before him. His death came amid a spike in threats and acts of violence against judges at all levels.

The issue gained urgency after a man shot himself in the head last month in Baltimore’s Eastside District Court.

The bill comes from recommendations by a task force on judicial security created last year after Wilkinson’s death.

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For additional information, please see Protecting the Judiciary – Bolch Judicial Institute – E-Discovery LLC  (Mar. 23, 2025), and blogs cited in that post, including Maryland’s Protection of the Judiciary (Apr. 10, 2024),  Maryland Bills to Protect Judges and Their Children (Feb. 23, 2024), and, Md. lawmakers pass bill to protect judges’ personal information after fatal shooting (Daily Record Apr. 9, 2024).