In a prepared statement to the House committee, Justice Elena Kagan planned to open Tuesday’s hearing by describing just how much has changed in terms of security and threats aimed at Supreme Court justices since she joined the court in 2010.
Back then, only the chief justice had a dedicated security team. Other justices were accompanied by security personnel only when participating in public events.
Now, each justice has a team of security officers who provide round-the-clock protection. Justice Kagan planned to tell the lawmakers that stepped-up security measures account for most of the recent increases in the court’s budget — an average of 15 percent per year.
The Supreme Court Police, she said, has reported an estimated 38 percent increase in threats this year, after a 25 percent increase last year.
“For some of us, those threats have come very close, and all of us live with the knowledge that they may again materialize,” Justice Kagan planned to tell the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
“But, as the Chief Justice has said, all members of the Court continue to do their jobs as they believe legally right, adjudicating cases without fear or favor.”
