By Tom Liotti
The recent murders of two police officers in New York City stands in contrast to the spirit of the season. While violence is endemic to law enforcement, rhetoric may also cultivate an atmosphere in which the mentally unstable, anarchists, terrorists and militants may use expressions of discontent to promote their agendas of hate. This then not only divides the city and nation, but brings us to the near point of revolution or a race war.
Elected officials and the public are often unsuspecting of the violence that is percolating all around us. In 1984 I received one of my own wake-up calls to be wary of unexpected violence when a former client charged with murder tried to escape from the courthouse and was involved in a shootout with court officers.
Later in the 1990s a County Court Judge harassed, stalked and threatened me and my family. He was removed from the Bench and disbarred on the basis of my complaint. I had his guns taken away from him. He was bipolar and not taking his medication. I have received death threats since, usually from anonymous sources. I have had to wear flak jackets to and from court appearances and in some cases receive special escorts.
Nearly a year ago, the mayor of Westbury and I received threats concerning search and seizure policies in our village. I notified the police and received heightened security from them but our courtroom does not have a metal detector or court officers. The Office of Court Administration is willing to give us a grant which will allow for the installation of a magnetometer. The cost to the village for security personnel to operate it would be about $7,500 per year, a price that is well worth it in order to insure the added safety of our court and those who come before it. As the saying goes, “if you see something, say something.” I have seen it, lived it and I have said something. We need protection in all of our courthouses. Judges have been shot and killed on and off the bench, in our present environment all of us need to have more protection and be on our guard.
