mr. chairman , i rise in support of h.r. 1751 and in support of the dedicated public servants working in our criminal justice system . 
the very nature of their work brings them in contact with dangerous criminals on a daily basis . 
after conviction , some of these criminals seek revenge against the prosecutors and judges who put them in prison . 
as unfortunate as it is , we must do more to protect those in the justice system who work to protect all of us . 
we all remember the brutal murders of michael lefkow and donna humphrey , the husband and mother of u.s. district judge joan lefkow . 
the initial investigation focused on a likely suspect , white supremacist matthew hale , who had been convicted of soliciting judge lefkow 's murder only a year before . 
as it turns out , hale was not behind the murders , but another disgruntled individual with a history in front of judge lefkow was . 
bart ross , a plaintiff in a medical malpractice case judge lefkow dismissed , wrote a letter to a chicago television station admitting he killed michael lefkow and donna humphrey and that his target had been the judge . 
included in the note was a `` hit list '' of others he felt had wronged him , many of whom were involved in his medical malpractice case . 
one of the individuals on the `` hit list '' is a constituent of mine and while we are thankful he and his family are safe , it is a chilling reminder that the security of judicial officials can not be taken for granted . 
this tragic case is just one example of the danger prosecutors and judges can face simply for doing their jobs . 
even though matthew hale and his white supremacist group were not responsible for the letkow murders , they were vocal in their praise for the killings on the internet . 
the fact remains that judges , prosecutors , and their families are often targeted and they can be in danger wherever they go , even in their own homes . 
mr. chairman , i support this legislation and i believe the congress should do all it can to protect judges and their families and enhance courthouse security . 
