[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL), who secured $12 million for judicial protection, today announced that the Department of Justice is finally spending these funds after months of delay.

In a letter to Durbin and Obama, from the Department of Justice, Assistant Attorney General William Moschella wrote: “We are pleased to inform you that… the USMS (United States Marshall Service) awarded a $3.5 million contract to purchase and install home intrusion detection systems in the homes of federal judges. The USMS is in the process of negotiating a national maintenance contract to cover the ongoing monitoring and maintenance of these systems after they are installed. The USMS intends to have all systems installed by the end of 2006.”

Durbin and Obama met in December with representatives from the U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Judicial Conference asking that the $12 million appropriated to improve security for members of the federal judiciary be spent immediately. Two weeks prior to their meeting, Durbin and Obama sent a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales requesting his assistance in immediately releasing the funds. The funding was included in the Supplemental Appropriations bill, which the President singed into law on May 11, 2005.

“The release of this money is a victory for federal judges in Illinois,” Durbin said. “I am relieved that this money is no longer being held up unnecessarily, forcing our federal judges to stand by without adequate security or a timetable for action. Just weeks before the anniversary of the murder of Judge Joan Lefkow’s husband and mother, we are reminded that we cannot wait for this protection. I worked closely with Senator Obama for the release of these funds, and I am pleased we were successful."

Late last year, news reports showed that despite Congress’s clear intent to use the $12 million to improve security for members of the federal judiciary, much of the money had not been spent, and many judges were not receiving the protection they needed.

According to the letter, funds were being withheld because of the need for a revised spending plan. The letter notes, “A revised spending plan was necessary… The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Science, the Department of State, Justice and Commerce and Related Agencies approved the spending plan on January 17, 2006. The Senate Appropriation Subcommittee on commerce, Justice and Science approved the spending plan on January 23, 2006.”

“What happened to the Lefkow family is a tragedy that should never be repeated,” said Senator Obama. “We need to do everything in our power to make sure that our judges are safe and that they feel secure. I’m pleased that the funding will soon be spent and that these security systems will be installed.”