I am Kimberly A. Yonta, president of the New Jersey State Bar Association.
Thank you for allowing me to testify today about the critical need to protect our judges and prosecutors. We’ve submitted a written statement, so I’ll keep my comments brief in reliance on that statement.
We cannot stand idly by in the wake of the horrific attack on U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas and her family, which resulted in the death of her son, Daniel, and critically injured her husband, Mark, who I know personally to be a well-regarded attorney, and is now facing a long journey to heal his injuries.
Such an attack is every judge’s nightmare. Yet these threats are visited upon judges across the court system, whether they handle family, civil or criminal matters. They happen to judges when they are on the bench and when they have retired. These threats are an attack not just on individual stewards of the justice, but on the entire system, a cornerstone of our democracy.
In a heartbreaking and courageous statement, Judge Salas urged that steps be taken to make it harder for attackers to track down judges and other public officials.
Today, the NJSBA echoes her call to action. On behalf of our 18,000 members, I voice our strong support of A-1649, and to urge an expansion of the protections that addresses a number of concerns raised since the tragedy.
The Association believes there is an immediate need to ensure the security and confidentiality of our judges' and prosecutors' personal information and that of their family, at all levels and stages of their career. They should be free to do their jobs -- bring cases and render decisions -- based on facts and caselaw, and not fear attack.
This bill prohibits the posting or publishing of home addresses or telephone numbers of judges and prosecutors. We applaud that and ask you to continue this dialogue as it moves through the Legislature to ensure that this bill contains the strongest protections possible for our judges and prosecutors.
We urge this Committee to vote “Yes” on A-1649 and the NJSBA stands ready to review, comment, and expound on any proposed revisions or amendments in the upcoming weeks as this issue is discussed and analyzed.
Our members are committed to working with stakeholders to flesh out potential protections that have been introduced or have yet to be discussed. As Judge Salas so poignantly stated:
“Now, more than ever, we need to identify a solution that keeps the lives of ... judges private. I know this is a complicated issue, and I don’t pretend to know or have all answers, but together we can find a way.”