AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The Texas Senate has voted to boost security protections for state and local judges after an attempted assassination of a district judge outside her Austin home in 2015.
The bill would raise civil case filing fees by $5 to pay for courthouse personnel security training while removing judges’ personal information from public documents.
Judges would also get personal security from the state if a threat is deemed credible.
State District Judge Julie Kocurek was ambushed and injured two years ago, when a suspect fired shots into her car. Travis County officials later acknowledged they knew about a pending threat but didn’t inform Kocurek before the attack.
The county later paid her a $500,000 settlement. The judge has returned to the bench.
The bill now moves to the House for consideration.
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