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 .  