The E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse, home of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, on June 6, 2020. The building remains closed to many due to the coronavirus pandemic, save judges, court staff, members of the media, and people with official business before the court. Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM
Officials are citing the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol as reason to increase judicial security, adding to an existing effort to boost protections for federal judges and other court staff.
Multiple lawmakers referenced the siege on the Capitol during a Feb. 24 hearing on the federal judiciary’s funding request for fiscal year 2022. The judiciary is asking for an appropriation of $8.12 billion, a 5% increase from the amount federal courts received during the prior fiscal year. Of that amount, $100.3 million is being sought for judicial security, a nearly 5% increase from the past amount granted.
