Sponsors (6)
The bill strengthens protections and courtroom safety by increasing penalties for intimidating picketing near courthouses, but does so at the cost of substantially higher criminal exposure that may chill lawful protest and increase public incarceration costs.
Jurors, court officers, witnesses, and litigants will have stronger legal protection from intimidation near courthouses because the bill raises the maximum penalty for unlawful picketing/parading under §1507 from 1 year to up to 5 years.
Courts, courthouse personnel, and law enforcement may experience fewer disruptions and safer proceedings because the tougher penalty could deter picketing or parading intended to influence courtroom participants.
Protesters and others who demonstrate near courthouses will face a greater risk that lawful protest and free expression will be chilled because the offense now carries felony-level exposure and much longer potential prison terms.
People charged under §1507 will face much higher maximum criminal exposure—up to 5 years instead of 1 year—raising the stakes for defendants and increasing the potential for harsher sentences.
Taxpayers may incur higher incarceration and criminal-justice costs if more defendants receive longer sentences under the increased maximum penalties.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Raises the maximum prison term for obstruction by picketing or parading near courthouses from 1 year to 5 years.
Official title: Amend section 1507 of title 18, United States Code, to establish appropriate penalties for obstruction of justice by picketing or parading in or near court buildings or residences of judges, jurors, witnesses, or other court officers.
Introduced February 4, 2025 by Marsha Blackburn · Last progress February 4, 2025
Raises the federal criminal penalty for obstructing justice by picketing or parading to influence jurors, court officers, witnesses, or parties near a courthouse from a maximum of one year to a maximum of five years in prison. The bill only changes the statutory maximum sentence in 18 U.S.C. §1507 and otherwise leaves the statute's scope and elements unchanged.