| A federal judge whose son was killed in a targeted attack at her New Jersey home will be the keynote speaker at an online forum about judicial safety at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12.The virtual event will also feature a panel of nationally recognized security experts. “A Threat to Judges – and Judicial Independence” is sponsored by the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University and the New Jersey Hispanic Bar Association.The free two-hour forum may be viewed on the Hughes Center’s website, stockton.edu/hughescenter, where a recording will be archived. The public may also register here to view the event as a Zoom webinar. Continuing legal education (CLE) credits are available to attending New Jersey lawyers, but they must register for the Zoom webinar to qualify.In July 2020, an assailant armed with a gun went to the home of Esther Salas, a U.S. District Court judge in New Jersey, and seriously injured her husband, Mark Anderl, and killed their son, Daniel, 20. State and federal laws named after Daniel have since been passed prohibiting the publication of addresses and personal information of judges.Albertina Webb, N.J. Hispanic Bar president and a partner at Hill Wallack LLP, will introduce Judge Salas’ keynote address. Retired Judge Julio Mendez, a senior contributing analyst for the Hughes Center, will moderate a panel discussion of various aspects of judicial safety following the keynote.Panelists include:Robin Morante, chief of Court and Judicial Security, New Jersey, with Robert P. Arter, Esq., Advisory Committee on Extrajudicial ActivitiesNathan W. Hall, National Center for State Courts; and principal consultant of Court Consulting ServicesJohn Muffler, MS, CTM, principal, Aequitas Global Security, LLC; formerly U.S. Marshals Service National Center for Judicial SecurityJohn Christopher Palmer, Court Security director, Utah State Courts, formerly head of travel security for Obama White House. About the Hughes CenterThe William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy (www.stockton.edu/hughescenter) at Stockton University serves as a catalyst for research, analysis and innovative policy solutions on the economic, social and cultural issues facing New Jersey, and promotes the civic life of New Jersey through engagement, education and research. The center is named for the late William J. Hughes, whose distinguished career includes service in the U.S. House of Representatives, Ambassador to Panama and as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Stockton. The Hughes Center can be found on YouTube, and can be followed on Facebook @StocktonHughesCenter, Twitter @hughescenter. |
