Threats Against Judges

All over the United States, the number of threats against judges hearing Social Security disability cases has been on the rise. At least 80 threats to kill or harm administrative law judges or staff who deal in Social Security disability cases have been reported by the Social Security Administration in the last year. That's an 18% increase from the year prior. The threats are being made by claimants who feel wronged by the decision of the court over their benefits or the extensive delays in claim processing.

Disability benefits are available to people who cannot work because of medical problems. The medical condition must be expected to last at least one year or result in death. The definition of disability is apparently very strictly defined by federal law. Social Security benefits differ from other programs in that it does not give money to people with partial disability or short-term disability.


President of the judges union, Charlotte, North Carolina judge Randall Frye, said, ''I'm not sure the number is as significant as the kind of threats being made. There seem to be more threats of serious bodily harm, not only to the judge but to the judge's family.''

Late in November a Senate subcommittee heard testimony in Akron, Ohio about the massive backlog in disability benefits applications as well as the number and severity of the threats. Some people may have to wait up to two years for their first payment while an additional 2 million people are waiting to find out if they qualify. Though there is an effort to be able to resolve claims in nine months by 2013, the current recession and gaining population is thwarting that goal. The number of threats may only be due to rise as claimants become more and more desperate.

Despite the raise in threats and past incidents of judges suffering physical abuse during hearings, the past year did not see any judges incurring harm. However, in January a gunman killed a security guard at a Nevada federal courthouse and it has been speculated that the incident was triggered by a reduction in his Social Security benefits.

Frye, head of the judges union, has requested more security and a review of the policy that keeps guards out of hearing rooms. Currently, the agency provides one private security guard for each office building in which a judge is housed.