Thursday, March 17, 2005
Robert Siciliano, security expert and president of StunGun.com, urges the U.S. legal system to avoid future violence by implementing effective securit
Robert Siciliano, security expert and president of StunGun.com, urges the U.S. legal system to avoid future violence by implementing effective security measures
(BOSTON, Massachusetts – March 17, 2005 – StunGun.com) Recent violence and threats of it in courtrooms and against a federal judge and her family members have prompted a national discussion about security in the courthouse. Debate has focused on the safety of courtrooms and shielding judges and their families from violence without jeopardizing or compromising the public trial by jury, a cornerstone tenet of the U.S. Constitution.
“We are witness to what may be a growing trend of violence against the judiciary system,” said Robert Siciliano, a personal security expert and president of StunGun.com. “And yet, the drift toward pandemonium and chaos in the courtroom is avoidable.”
On March 14, The Christian Science Monitor’s Patrik Jonsson quoted Siciliano in a report on courtroom violence. An expert in personal security and identity theft, Siciliano, author of “The Safety Minute: 01,” has been featured on CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, and CNBC.
The Associated Press has reported another incident of courtroom violence. At a New Orleans, Louisiana courthouse on March 17, a suspect allegedly beat a deputy and prosecutor. This latest example follows last month’s killings of the husband and mother of a Chicago judge, Joan Humphrey Lefkow, who had received death threats herself. A week ago in an Atlanta, Georgia courtroom, a former college football linebacker, Brian Nichols, allegedly shot and killed Judge Rowland Barnes along with a court reporter and sheriff’s deputy.
“Authorities can implement simple yet powerful practices and draw commonsense guidelines to avert future violence in the courthouse,” said Siciliano.
Siciliano believes officials should train courtroom personnel to use reasonable methods in diffusing escalating situations before circumstances overheat. Everyone should participate in ongoing safety and security strategy development. Staff should be part of the solution and have the tools they need to identify hazards and gain control during crises.
Some have voiced concerns that hyper vigilance in the courtroom could go too far, threatening the U.S. legal system’s transparency, a trait critical to the republic, and separating judges from society.
“Judges are important public servants,” said Siciliano. “We must protect them with everything we have. Their relationship to society may indeed change, and I understand concerns about preserving the accessibility of the legal system to protect our Constitutional freedoms. But we also need to do whatever it takes to preserve the authority of the bench itself.”
Alternative law enforcement weapons technology such as stun guns may hold one of the keys to courtroom safety. “Stun guns are the perfect foil to violence in the courtroom, a place filled with innocent bystanders and legal officials,” said Siciliano.
The Feb. 11 edition of The New York Post’s business pages reported on Siciliano’s company, StunGun.com. On March 8, KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh, Penn., interviewed Mr. Siciliano about the safety of stun guns. In a March 13 column, Jim Kouri, CPP, vice president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police, drew on Siciliano’s commentary about law enforcement’s use of stun guns.
“Many of the people who work in our courts day in and day out are untrained in self-defense or how to react to dangerous situations,” said Siciliano. “A courthouse can be a crowded place. Police are typically hesitant to use their firearms in crowded environments. A stun gun in the hands of a properly trained law enforcement officer may have thwarted Nichols last week.”
***
Siciliano is available to speak with the media about the recent spate of violence in courtrooms and against judges. Featured on CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, CNBC, "ABC News with Sam Donaldson," "The Montel Williams Show," "Maury Povich," "Sally Jesse Raphael" and "The Howard Stern Show," Siciliano has earned critical praise nationwide for his workshops and seminars.
Certified as an instructor of safety and security by dozens of state governing boards, he teaches people how to avoid and escape assaults. Numerous industry associations have certified his programs to provide their members with security training. He has been quoted in Reuters, RealtyTimes.com, Woman's Day, Good Housekeeping, Mademoiselle, The New York Post, The New York Times, The Washington Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Christian Science Monitor, and elsewhere.
Siciliano can be reached at 1-800 STUNGUN (788-6486). The URL www.stungun.com leads to his Web site. Visit his blog at www.1800stungun.blogspot.com.
Siciliano's contact information follows:
Robert L. Siciliano
Personal Security Expert
phone: 1-800 STUNGUN (788-6486)
fax: 877-2-FAX-NOW (232-9669)
Robert@StunGun.com
The media are encouraged to get in touch with Siciliano directly. They may also contact:
STETrevisions, strategic communications
Brent W. Skinner, President
cell: 617-875-4859
fax: 866-663-6557
BrentSkinner@STETrevisions.com
(BOSTON, Massachusetts – March 17, 2005 – StunGun.com) Recent violence and threats of it in courtrooms and against a federal judge and her family members have prompted a national discussion about security in the courthouse. Debate has focused on the safety of courtrooms and shielding judges and their families from violence without jeopardizing or compromising the public trial by jury, a cornerstone tenet of the U.S. Constitution.
“We are witness to what may be a growing trend of violence against the judiciary system,” said Robert Siciliano, a personal security expert and president of StunGun.com. “And yet, the drift toward pandemonium and chaos in the courtroom is avoidable.”
On March 14, The Christian Science Monitor’s Patrik Jonsson quoted Siciliano in a report on courtroom violence. An expert in personal security and identity theft, Siciliano, author of “The Safety Minute: 01,” has been featured on CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, and CNBC.
The Associated Press has reported another incident of courtroom violence. At a New Orleans, Louisiana courthouse on March 17, a suspect allegedly beat a deputy and prosecutor. This latest example follows last month’s killings of the husband and mother of a Chicago judge, Joan Humphrey Lefkow, who had received death threats herself. A week ago in an Atlanta, Georgia courtroom, a former college football linebacker, Brian Nichols, allegedly shot and killed Judge Rowland Barnes along with a court reporter and sheriff’s deputy.
“Authorities can implement simple yet powerful practices and draw commonsense guidelines to avert future violence in the courthouse,” said Siciliano.
Siciliano believes officials should train courtroom personnel to use reasonable methods in diffusing escalating situations before circumstances overheat. Everyone should participate in ongoing safety and security strategy development. Staff should be part of the solution and have the tools they need to identify hazards and gain control during crises.
Some have voiced concerns that hyper vigilance in the courtroom could go too far, threatening the U.S. legal system’s transparency, a trait critical to the republic, and separating judges from society.
“Judges are important public servants,” said Siciliano. “We must protect them with everything we have. Their relationship to society may indeed change, and I understand concerns about preserving the accessibility of the legal system to protect our Constitutional freedoms. But we also need to do whatever it takes to preserve the authority of the bench itself.”
Alternative law enforcement weapons technology such as stun guns may hold one of the keys to courtroom safety. “Stun guns are the perfect foil to violence in the courtroom, a place filled with innocent bystanders and legal officials,” said Siciliano.
The Feb. 11 edition of The New York Post’s business pages reported on Siciliano’s company, StunGun.com. On March 8, KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh, Penn., interviewed Mr. Siciliano about the safety of stun guns. In a March 13 column, Jim Kouri, CPP, vice president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police, drew on Siciliano’s commentary about law enforcement’s use of stun guns.
“Many of the people who work in our courts day in and day out are untrained in self-defense or how to react to dangerous situations,” said Siciliano. “A courthouse can be a crowded place. Police are typically hesitant to use their firearms in crowded environments. A stun gun in the hands of a properly trained law enforcement officer may have thwarted Nichols last week.”
***
Siciliano is available to speak with the media about the recent spate of violence in courtrooms and against judges. Featured on CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, CNBC, "ABC News with Sam Donaldson," "The Montel Williams Show," "Maury Povich," "Sally Jesse Raphael" and "The Howard Stern Show," Siciliano has earned critical praise nationwide for his workshops and seminars.
Certified as an instructor of safety and security by dozens of state governing boards, he teaches people how to avoid and escape assaults. Numerous industry associations have certified his programs to provide their members with security training. He has been quoted in Reuters, RealtyTimes.com, Woman's Day, Good Housekeeping, Mademoiselle, The New York Post, The New York Times, The Washington Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Christian Science Monitor, and elsewhere.
Siciliano can be reached at 1-800 STUNGUN (788-6486). The URL www.stungun.com leads to his Web site. Visit his blog at www.1800stungun.blogspot.com.
Siciliano's contact information follows:
Robert L. Siciliano
Personal Security Expert
phone: 1-800 STUNGUN (788-6486)
fax: 877-2-FAX-NOW (232-9669)
Robert@StunGun.com
The media are encouraged to get in touch with Siciliano directly. They may also contact:
STETrevisions, strategic communications
Brent W. Skinner, President
cell: 617-875-4859
fax: 866-663-6557
BrentSkinner@STETrevisions.com
# posted by IDTheftSecurity.com @ 1:27 PM 
