As is too often the case, when government attempts to create laws to protect government officials, it clashes with the rights of the American people. US District Judge Esther Salas’ son was murdered and her husband wounded when a gunman tracked down her home address and invaded her home, intending to kill her. He later killed himself. As a result, the Judge joined the effort to pass a law called Daniel’s Law, named after her son, The law passed in New Jersey and now the US Congress is considering creating a similar law.
The law makes it illegal to publish private information about public officials, but critics say the law is far too broad and offers far too little carve-outs to allow for basic gatekeeping journalism.
Bill to shield federal judges has free speech issues | EDITORIAL
From www.reviewjournal.com
2022-01-03 05:00:00
Excerpt:
Every parent’s worst fear is losing a child. For U.S. District Judge Esther Salas and her husband, Mark Anderi, that horrific fear was realized on July 19, 2020.
That night, the couple were celebrating the 20th birthday of their son, Daniel, when a gunman posing as a delivery driver rang the doorbell of their New Jersey home. He shot Daniel to death and Anderi three times, wounding him. The gunman, a self-described “anti-feminist lawyer” named Roy Den Hollander, was found dead a day later with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
According to ABC News, Hollander, who had appeared in Judge Salas’ courtroom months earlier, had compiled a detailed dossier about the judge, her family and other people he wanted to kill, including at least one other judge. Hollander also published an autobiography online, in which he attacked Judge Salas’ ethnicity.
The tragedy motivated Judge Salas to push for passage of “Daniel’s Law,” which makes it a crime to publish the personal information of New Jersey judges and law enforcement officials. The proposal became law in the Garden State in November — and a similar proposal is making its way through Congress.
