Courthouse bombing sparks security reviews

The recent bombing at the courthouse in Santa Maria highlighted significant security vulnerabilities that California court officials are urgently working to resolve, as judges face escalating threats.

"The past several months have reminded us that threats to our security come in many forms," Los Angeles County Superior Court Presiding Judge Samantha P. Jessner said. "We are grateful to have a robust security team in place to monitor, prepare, and consider court and judicial security issues."

Jessner outlined a series of security enhancements being implemented at courthouses across the county. These measures include upgrading access control systems and video surveillance, improving emergency communications systems, and enhancing judicial officer parking security.

The LA court is also implementing new safety policies, providing emergency response training for staff, and enhancing partnerships with law enforcement. In response to emerging technological threats a Cyber Security Division has been established to strengthen the court's digital defenses. A July ransomware attack took key court systems offline for several days.

Not all courts have been as proactive as Los Angeles but what happened in the small Santa Maria courthouse on Sept. 25 has served as a wakeup call.

Nathaniel James McGuire, 20, allegedly tossed a bag of explosives past the security checkpoint. It detonated a few feet away in front of the door to Department 9, where he was scheduled to be arraigned on weapons charges. Law enforcement said he told them he intended the blast to be a diversion so that he could return with a gun to kill Judge John F. McGregor.

Upon learning of the bombing, several law enforcement agencies in California said they had ramped up courthouse security measures.

"All courthouses in San Bernardino County increased their patrols within and outside the facilities. This includes additional patrols of the lobby, as staffing permits," Mara K. Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, said.

McGregor, the judge in Santa Maria, declined to be interviewed for this article but a court spokesperson said the jurist resumed his calendar the following Monday when the courthouse reopened.

"Immediately after this incident, the court began to assemble a multidisciplinary task force to review the incident and recommend improvements in our security," Darrel Parker, the chief executive of the Santa Barbara County Superior Court, stated.

This attack is not an isolated incident. Last year, Isaac Jones, Jr. was convicted of making criminal threats against several Orange County Superior Court judges. Jones had sent a chemical-laden box containing death threats to the courthouse. His conviction was recently upheld by the 4th District California Court of Appeal. People v. Jones, 19CF0869, (O.C. Super., Ct., filed Mar. 29, 2019); People v. Jones, G062464, (Cal. App. 4th Dist. Oct. 01, 2024) (unpublished).

The U.S. Congress is currently considering the "Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act," which would help courts across the country address security concerns.

A June survey by the National Judicial College revealed troubling trends among judges, with over half reporting negative impacts on their mental health due to security threats, increased public attacks and declining trust in the judiciary.

"The attacks on the Judiciary by government figures have normalized the behavior. Two weeks ago, a litigant said I should be killed and my house burnt down with my family in it. Big talk from small people, but still drives up stress levels," one judge wrote in his survey answer.

Another judge wrote that they had their life threatened so many times they purchased a firearm.