In 2017, the Texas House gave an unanimous preliminary approval to a court security bill inspired by the 2015 assassination attempt on an Austin Judge. Currently, Judges from all over Texas are meeting to determine the best course of action to comply with Senate Bill 42 (SB42).
SB42 requires local law enforcement to send reports to the Office of Court Administration about any court security incidents. It would also create a filing fee in civil cases to fund support for training for court security. A judicial security division would be a central point for court security information.
The bill is named in honor of state District Judge Julie Kocurek, who was severely injured when an assailant shot at her several times in an attack outside her home. A phoned-in tip a couple of weeks before the shooting that a judge's life had been threatened was briefly investigated, but with few details it was deemed not credible. Kocurek had no knowledge of the threat.
After the attack on Kocurek, the state's Office of Court Administration emailed a survey to judges across the state. Of the 1,115 judges who responded, 38 percent said they feared for their personal safety at least once at work in the past two years. Forty-two percent said they were afraid at least once when away from work.
Guardian Security is your one-stop-shop for solutions relating to SB42. From assisting in courthouse security teams to installing panic systems, Guardian can help secure your county. We will carefully evaluate your situation and give you the most effective and practical solution based on your County needs.
Guardian has secured counties and courthouses Texas-wide for over 25 years. With innovative products like facial recognition cameras to shooter-detection software, Guardian is ready to tackle your security needs. Click below to learn more about our products and to request a FREE SB42 security evaluation.