Senate passes court security bill named in honor of Austin judge who was attacked
The Texas Senate on Tuesday passed a court security bill that would require personal protection for judges who have been threatened or attacked.
The bill is named in honor of state District Judge Julie Kocurek, who was attacked in 2015 outside her Austin home. Kocurek's assailant shot at her several times, and she suffered serious injuries from shattered glass and shrapnel. After months of rehabilitation, she returned to the bench in early 2016. Three men – including Chimene Onyeri, who faced probation revocation in her court – were indicted in a plot to kill Kocurek.
A phoned-in tip a couple of weeks before the shooting that a judge's life had been threatened was briefly investigated, but with few details it was deemed not credible. Kocurek did not know about the threat.
"Lack of training, lack of information, lack of procedure" led to Kocurek's attack, said state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, author of Senate Bill 42, known as the Judge Julie Kocurek Judicial and Courthouse Security Act of 2017.
Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2017/04/04/texas-senate-passes-court-security-bill-named-honor-austin-judge-who-w/
