Judges hope penalties boost safety

RENO -- A bill request from the Nevada Supreme Court seeks enhanced penalties for crimes committed against judges and others involved in the judicial process.

Washoe Family Court Judge Chuck Weller, who was shot in the chest through a window while standing in his chambers, said the proposal incorporates provisions passed by Congress and enacted into federal law in January under the Court Security Improvement Act of 2007.

Among other things, it enhances penalties for people who target someone in the judicial process; allows judges to keep their addresses secret; makes it a crime to file false lien claims against judges, and makes murder of a judge punishable by death.

Weller was wounded on June 12, 2006, by a bullet fired by Darren Mack from a parking garage. Weller was handling the divorce of Mack and his estranged wife, Charla, who was murdered earlier that day.

A former pawn shop owner, Mack was sentenced to life in prison with possible parole after 20 years.

"My interest in court security was definitely heightened by my experience," said Weller, who helped draft the proposal.

The proposal also would expand the list of people protected to include prosecutors, public defenders, probation officers, jurors and witnesses.

That was welcomed by Washoe County District Attorney Richard Gammick, who said, "The last individual in the court system who was killed was a prosecutor in Denver, who was shot in the back of the head. If we're going to do anything, it should include prosecutors."

But Washoe County Public Defender Jeremy Bosler said while every employer would welcome safety for their workers, he questioned adding protections for a specific group.