Violence Toward Judicial Officials

Abstract

This article explores several unique aspects that distinguish judicial officials from other public figures targeted for violence. Assaults and threats against judicial officials derive from the officials' role in the judicial system. They tend to have multiple victims, be motivated out of anger or disappointment over a particular court case, and--because of the court case--involve an interpersonal relationship between target and assailant. The article also argues for the necessity of researching both attackers and nonattackers in order to compare the similarities and differences between them, for example, the method by which attackers and nonattackers choose to communicate with or contact their targets. The article concludes with a call for more research on local judicial jurisdictions. This promises the largest laboratory for understanding violence toward judicial officials.