Judges who hear social security disability cases are receiving more and more threats of violent nature. They are receiving these threats due to denial of coverage/benefits or delays in processing. There were over 80 threats to harm or kill administrative law judges or staff over the last year. Nearly 2 million people are waiting to find out if they qualify for benefits, with many having to wait more than two year to see a initial payment. Judges blame this hostility on claimants becoming desperate after years of fighting for money to help make ends meet. No judges have been harmed this year, there have however, been previous incidents: A judge in Low Angeles was hit over the head with a chair during a hearing, a judge in N.Y. was punched by a claimant when he arrived to work. In January, a gunman killed a security guard during a furious gunbattle at a Nevada federal courthouse. There are about 1,400 administrative judges that handle Social Security appeals, at about 150 offices across the country, many are leased office buildings instead of proper government buildings. They lack the proper security and steps are being taken to improve the effectiveness of office security.
Hayden Wolf
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101114/ap_on_go_ot/us_judges_threats;_ylt=AtzCjuCPvJ.S0f.edP1lZVas0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNtMDU4azRkBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAxMTE0L3VzX2p1ZGdlc190aHJlYXRzBGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb3MDMTAEcG9zAzcEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl9oZWFkbGluZV9saXN0BHNsawNzb2NpYWxzZWN1cmk-
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