Courts critically need security upgrades, additional equipment, staff training and standardized compensation, Missouri Chief Justice George W. Draper has told legislators.
In a wide ranging speech that touched on periods of history during 200 years of the judiciary in Missouri, Chief Justice Draper also lauded the increased diversity of the courts and praised staff as they dealt with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Never could any of us have imagined these stressful times, trying to maintain a sense of normalcy in our public work in the midst of national strife and a global pandemic," Draper said in his annual State of the Judiciary delivered to members of the Missouri General Assembly.
His key ask of legislators was more investment in security for both people and buildings, citing the "tragic events in our nation’s capitol building last month." The storming of the U.S. Capitol was a "painful reminder" that security is an investment we cannot afford not to make."
"While COVID-19 put a damper on many things – including, thankfully, the number of active shooter incidents – the danger remains, and there still exists a need for preparedness against threats posed by deranged and menacing individuals in our society," the chief justice said.
He called for more equipment, additional full-time marshals, increased training and "more standardized compensation."
Draper added: "Our judges need to ensure their privacy can be protected, and, in my opinion, we need to be able to use witness protection services funds to protect judges and their families against credible threats of violence."
In his speech, the chief justice, noting the first sitting of the Supreme Court took place in March 1821, walked through key moments in its history, including the 1852 state Dred Scott decision and the civil war, and 100 years ago when the country was ravaged by the Spanish Flu.
He noted that the General Assembly is the most diverse in history, while of judges recently appointed, 14 have been women, judges of color, or both.
"However, as events from the Ferguson protests through the racial unrest during the past year have shown, we still have work to do as a society," Draper said. "In recognition of this constitutional imperative, we also continue the courts’ efforts to address implicit bias and institutional racism that exist systemically throughout our country."
On the parallels between what happened post-Great War and now, Draper said influenza killed 675,000 US people after 1918. Close to 450,000, have died of causes linked to novel coronavirus, including more than 7,400 in Missouri..
"It is impossible to talk about the last year, let alone deliver this state of the judiciary address, without recognizing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic," Draper said. "Like other parts of government, Missouri’s courts had to find ways to adjust and innovate in an incredibly short period of time."
He described as better prepared to deal with disruptions because of "decades creating state wide technology infrastructure, allowing continued electronic case filings and court determinations when in-person proceedings are not required."
On other issues, Draper said the Treatment Court Coordinating Commission approved standards are in place, and he announced the retirement after 27 years of the longest serving judge on the Supreme Court, Laura Denvir Stith.
"Our strong institutions and collective history prove that necessity, ingenuity, and intestinal fortitude bolster the human character and ensure our survival," Draper concluded. "So I am certain the perspective of the past provides strength to endure our present time of pain and gives us hope for our future."