Stockton to host public forum on Daniel's Law

Judge Esther Salas

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP New Jersey's implementation of Daniel's Law, which attempts to shield judges, court personnel and law enforcement from threats or violence, will be the subject of a panel discussion at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12 at Stockton University.

The 90-minute event "Daniel's Law: How New Jersey Protects Its Judicial System - And Why Those Who Are Covered Should Embrace It is free and open to the public. The forum is sponsored by the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton, and it will be held in person at the Campus Center Theatre on the Galloway Township campus.

In July 2020, an assailant armed with a gun went to the New Jersey home of US District Court Judge Esther Salas. The gunman opened fire when the door was answered, seriously injuring Salas' husband, Mark Anderl, and killing their son, Daniel, 20. State and federal laws named after Daniel have since been passed prohibiting the publication of addresses and personal information of judges and other court personnel to thwart would-be attackers.

However, only about half of the people covered by the state Daniel's Law have taken advantage of its protections, according to state data. Judge Salas has become a national advocate for protecting judges, prosecutors and police because an independent judiciary free of intimidation is vital to democracy.

On Sept. 12, panelists will discuss how the law works, why more who are covered have not taken advantage of it and why threats against the judiciary pose an urgent problem for society. Of interest to the legal community will be a demonstration of how to register for Daniel's Law protections.

Participants include:

• Esther Salas, US District Court judge, New Jersey


• Timothy McGoughran, president of the NJ State Bar Association


• Christine Campbell, director of the Office of Information Privacy, NJ Department of Community Affairs


• and as moderator, Judge Julio Mendez, retired, senior contributing analyst for the Hughes Center.

Members of the judiciary, legal profession and law enforcement in particular may benefit from the discussion and are encouraged to attend or view the event online, said John Froonjian, director of the Hughes Center.

The upcoming event is a follow-up to an April 12 Hughes Center forum that featured Judge Salas talking about her personal tragedy and, with other experts, outlining ways to protect the courts. A video recording of that online program is available on the Hughes Center website at https://stockton.edu/hughes-center/judge-safety.html.

The Sept. 12 Daniel's Law panel will be livestreamed on the Hughes Center home page at www.stockton.edu/hughescenter. A recording of the program will also be archived on that site.