Sponsors (6)
The bill raises penalties to better protect courtroom participants and deter disruptions, improving safety and order in court settings, but increases criminal exposure and sentencing risk for defendants, risks chilling lawful protest near courthouses, and may raise incarceration costs for taxpayers.
Jurors, court officers, witnesses, parties, federal employees, and law‑enforcement benefit from stronger protection and fewer courtroom disruptions because the bill raises the maximum criminal penalty for intimidating or influencing court proceedings (from 1 year to up to 5 years), increasing deterrence and safety.
People engaging in protests, picketing, or other expressive activities near courthouses may be chilled from lawful speech because felony-level penalties (up to 5 years) raise the risk and perceived severity of punishment for near-court demonstrations.
Defendants charged under the statute face substantially higher potential prison exposure—up to 5 years instead of 1 year—raising the stakes of prosecution and the risk of harsher sentences for individuals accused of intimidation or disruptive conduct near courts.
Taxpayers could incur higher incarceration and criminal-justice costs if the increased maximum sentence results in more or longer prison terms.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Raises the maximum federal prison term for obstructing justice by picketing or parading near a court from one year to five years.
Raises the maximum federal prison term for obstructing justice by picketing or parading with the intent to influence jurors, court officers, witnesses, or parties near or inside a court from one year to five years. The bill consists of a short title provision and a single substantive change to the criminal penalty in federal law.
Introduced February 4, 2025 by Marsha Blackburn · Last progress February 4, 2025