[JURIST] More than 1,500 US federal judges have requested government-paid home security systems approved by Congress last year, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Tuesday. After a man broke into the home of District Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow [official profile] and murdered her husband and mother [JURIST report] last March, the Judicial Conference of the United States [official website], the policymaking board for federal courts, urged Congress to provide additional security measures [JURIST report] for judges and their families. Gonzales said that three-fourths of the country's federal judges have said they want the home security system.

Also Tuesday, the Judicial Conference held its first meeting under the leadership of US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. Judges called for security officers in courthouse to receive better training [press release] and equipment and urged more rigorous screening of inmate mail. AP has more.