As two high profile shootings in central North Carolina have renewed questions about courthouse security, WRAL is examining federal efforts to improve judicial and court staff safety. 

Security was increased outside of the Wilson County Courthouse Tuesday, 24 hours after a woman was critically injured in a shooting that law enforcement says was motivated by revenge for the death of a friend. 

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Outside the courthouse Monday, law enforcement says Abdul Mustafa, 21, was waiting on a nearby bench for LaToya Lucas, 19, to arrive. Police believe Mustafa, and two others who were later charged, went inside the district court to see if Lucas was there and exchanged clothes in the bathroom. When they learned she was not inside, Mustafa came out of the courthouse and stayed on the bench with a backpack that he previously hid in a nearby alley. 

Lucas is charged with obstruction of justice and accessory after the fact in connection to the death of LaDarrius Simmons, 16, who was killed late last month. 

The high profile and public shooting comes several months after two attorneys were shot by Gwendolyn White outside the Wake County courthouse in broad daylight. 

WRAL looked intro nationwide reporting for state court level violence, and found tracking of the subject is both limited and inconsistent. 

The National Center for State Courts, which advocates on the behalf of state level judges and court staff, acknowledged that reporting on the matter is sparse and not centralized.

"There is none," says Nathan Hall with the NCSC. "Frankly it’s going to vary considerably by state."

The NCSC, based in Virginia, provides education and resources for all things within the administration of the state court system. Part of this includes safety assessments, and developing best practices. 

Examining the Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act

Last November, the United States Senate passed a bill that addresses courthouse security for judges and other courthouse staff such as prosecutors. 

The exteriors of a courthouse, in the cases at the Wilson and Wake courthouses, present unique challenges, Hall says.

“From a security perspective, the area of vulnerability does extend beyond the courthouse. It gets challenging as you increase these concentric circles of security layers as you move outside that," Hall said. 

The Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act, sponsored by U.S. Senator John Cornyn focuses on the establishment of a State judicial threat intelligence and resource center.

The bill, which has not been acted on by the House of Representatives yet, has the below objectives:

  • provide technical assistance and training around judicial security
    • proactively monitor threats to the safety of State and local judges and court staff
      • coordinate with Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies to mitigate threats to the safety of State and local judges and court staff
        • develop standardized incident reporting and threat evaluation practices for State and local courts in coordination with State and local law enforcement and fusion centers
          • develop a national database for reporting, tracking, and sharing information about threats and incidents towards judicial officers and court staff at local and State levels with entities working in the interest of judicial security, including State and local law enforcement and fusion centers

            There is variance among security practices for North Carolina's state courts. 

            According to the North Carolina Sheriff's Association:

            Each county handles their own policies, and those policies can vary greatly because each courthouse in North Carolina is so different.

            A spokesperson added that the NC Sheriff's Association does not "maintain any sample policies for courthouse security."