Topic: Law and Crime — Court Administration
Subject: Law
Date: 2007-01-24 00:00:00

Court Security Improvement Act of 2007 - Title I: Judicial Security Improvements and Funding - (Sec 101) Amends the federal judicial code to require the Director of the U.S. Marshals Service to consult with the Judicial Conference of the United States (Judicial Conference) on a continuing basis regarding the security requirements for the U.S. judicial branch.(Sec. 102) Authorizes the U.S. Marshals Service to provide for the security of the U.S. Tax Court.(Sec. 103) Authorizes additional amounts in FY2007-FY2011 for: (1) hiring deputy U.S. Marshals to provide security for judicial officers and U.S. attorneys; and (2) the Office of Protective Intelligence to provide secure computer systems.(Sec. 104) Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to extend through 2011 the authority of the Judicial Conference to redact certain personal information of judges from financial disclosure reports. Title II: Criminal Law Enhancements to Protect Judges, Family Members, and Witnesses - (Sec. 201) Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the filing (or attempts or conspiracies to file) in any public record any false lien or encumbrance against the real or personal property of any U.S. officer or employee on account of the performance of that officer's or employee's official duties, knowing that such lien or encumbrance is false. Imposes a fine and/or prison term of up to 10 years for violations.(Sec. 202) Prohibits the public disclosure of restricted personal information about a federal officer or employee, witness, or juror (or immediate family members) with the intent to threaten or cause harm to such individuals. Imposes a fine and/or prison term of up to five years for violations.(Sec. 203) Prohibits the possession of dangerous weapons in federal court facilities. (Sec. 204) Modifies venue requirements for prosecutions for retaliation against a witness to include the district in which the official proceeding or criminal conduct occurred. (Sec. 205) Increases maximum prison terms for: (1) tampering with, or retaliating against, a witness, victim, or informant; (2) voluntary and involuntary manslaughter; and (3) assault against a federal judge, law enforcement officer, or immediate family members of such officials.(Sec. 209) Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review its sentencing guidelines relating to threats against a federal official carried out over the Internet.Title III: Protecting State and Local Judges and Related Grant Programs - (Sec. 301) Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to include as a required use of community-based justice grants the creation and expansion of state, local, or Indian tribe witness protection programs. Authorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2012.(Sec. 302) Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to make state courts eligible for grants to improve court security (correctional options grants) and for armor vests. (Sec. 303) Directs the Attorney General to make grants to enable the highest court in each state to establish and maintain a threat assessment database to: (1) analyze trends and patterns in domestic terrorism and crime; (2) project the probabilities that specific acts of domestic terrorism or crime will occur; and (3) develop measures and procedures to reduce such probabilities. Authorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2011.Title IV: Law Enforcement Officers - (Sec. 401) Requires the Attorney General to report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees on the security of assistant U.S. attorneys and other federal attorneys arising from the prosecution of terrorists and other violent criminals. Requires such report to include information on the number and nature of threats and assaults against such attorneys, security measures in place to protect such attorneys, programs available to such attorneys for personal security training, secure parking spaces for such attorneys, and the role of the U.S. Marshals Service in protecting such attorneys.Title V: Miscellaneous Provisions - (Sec. 501) Amends the federal judicial code to: (1) authorize through FY2010 the U.S. Sentencing Commission to enter into multyear procurement contracts and to make advance, partial, progress, or other payments for property or services to the same extent as executive agencies; (2) extend certain life insurance benefits to magistrate judges; and (3) expand the powers of judges who have retired from active service (senior judges) to include all powers of a sitting judge, including participation in the appointment of court officers and selection of magistrates, rulemaking, governance, and administrative matters.(Sec. 505) Amends the federal criminal code to require the Bureau of Prisons to notify a prisoner released to supervised release, verbally and in writing, of such prisoner's obligation to pay any fines imposed for the offense committed and the consequences of failure to pay. (Sec. 506) Requires the Attorney General to study and report to Congress on whether general public access to state and local records imperils the safety of the federal judiciary. (Sec. 507) Authorizes appropriations for Fugitive Apprehension Task Forces for FY2008-FY2012. (Sec. 508) Authorizes states, for purposes of identification requirements under the REAL ID Act of 2005, to include in a driver's license or other identification card issued to federal judges and justices of the U.S. Supreme Court the address of the courthouse of such judges or justices in lieu of residence addresses.(Sec. 509) Amends the federal judicial code to: (1) decrease the required number of judges for the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals from 12 to 11; and (2) increase the required number of such judges for the Ninth Circuit from 28 to 29.(Sec. 510) Requires the Director of the National Institute of Justice to conduct a study of the collateral consequences of convictions for criminal offenses in all states, the District of Columbia, and each U.S. territory. Defines "collateral consequences" as sanctions against an individual or disqualifications resulting from a felony or misdemeanor conviction that were not part of the original judgment of the sentencing court.