Burglary - defined as the unlawful entry of a structure, such as a home or business, to commit a theft or felony - is the most serious nonviolent offense tracked by the FBI. There were just over 1 million burglaries reported in the United States in 2020, resulting in billions of dollars in stolen property.

Most burglaries in the U.S. are committed in residential properties, and more often during the day than at night. Not only do victims of burglaries typically suffer material loss, but they can also be impacted psychologically. Many burglary victims have reported heightened anxiety, difficulty sleeping, feelings of vulnerability, and even post-traumatic stress disorder in some cases.

Encouragingly, burglaries are becoming less common in the United States, with total reported cases dropping by 7% in the most recent year of available data. The decline in the burglary rates nationwide is being driven by steep declines in burglary rates in some major metropolitan areas.

In the Fort Smith metro area, which covers parts of Arkansas and Oklahoma, the total number of burglaries fell by 13.5% - from 1,506 in 2019 to 1,303 in 2020. The resulting decrease in the area's population-adjusted burglary rate was one of the largest of any U.S. metro areas.

The reported burglary rate in Fort Smith declined by about 83 incidents for every 100,000 people from 2019 to 2020. Despite the decrease, the metro area's burglary rate of 520 reported incidents per 100,000 people remains well above the national rate of 314 burglaries per 100,000 people.

All crime data used in this story is from the FBI's 2019 and 2020 Uniform Crime Reports. We considered all U.S. metropolitan areas for which the boundaries defined by the FBI match the boundaries as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.

RankMetro area1-yr. decline in burglary rate (burglaries per 100k people)Burglaries per 100k people, 2020Total burglaries, 2020Total burglaries, 20191Florence, SC2766731,3791,9452Sumter, SC2525297421,0933Lawton, OK2325747231,0104Vallejo, CA2186152,7513,7275Madera, CA2082263536826Sebring-Avon Park, FL2063123335467Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV1983758,68313,0038Sioux City, IA-NE-SD1763945698169New Bern, NC17653065788110Burlington, NC16043073899311Panama City, FL1464437751,09712Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ14639959381613Modesto, CA1463321,8252,62814Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ1414148891,17115Bakersfield, CA1397086,3587,59516Stockton, CA1313692,8173,77117Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY12718127947218Elmira, NY12715913123819Greenville, NC12035063885220Brownsville-Harlingen, TX1192751,1651,67021Abilene, TX11733056876522Tallahassee, FL1154451,7282,15423Anchorage, AK1134881,4881,83724Monroe, LA1128361,6651,90325Lafayette, LA1055152,5233,03126Goldsboro, NC10461575888727Toledo, OH1043652,3373,01128The Villages, FL10013919131829Jacksonville, FL983164,9966,41030Chico, CA983848331,11131Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI922209,47213,45132Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL912687,1389,38933Wilmington, NC883721,1271,38034Canton-Massillon, OH884021,5911,94635Alexandria, LA8810191,5411,68236Fort Wayne, IN862058511,20037Rockford, IL853401,1321,42438Spartanburg, SC855251,7031,94139Fort Smith, AR-OK835201,3031,50640Clarksville, TN-KY832868931,14541Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH832871,0151,31742St. George, UT8215027340843Charleston-North Charleston, SC743092,5333,08444Roanoke, VA7420965688745Johnson City, TN7327856771246California-Lexington Park, MD7122425533347Gainesville, FL693391,1201,34548Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA6936917,14020,26849Yuma, AZ6930165379350Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL682681,6292,019

Burglary - defined as the unlawful entry of a structure, such as a home or business, to commit a theft or felony - is the most serious nonviolent offense tracked by the FBI. There were just over 1 million burglaries reported in the United States in 2020, resulting in billions of dollars in stolen property.

Most burglaries in the U.S. are committed in residential properties, and more often during the day than at night. Not only do victims of burglaries typically suffer material loss, but they can also be impacted psychologically. Many burglary victims have reported heightened anxiety, difficulty sleeping, feelings of vulnerability, and even post-traumatic stress disorder in some cases.

Encouragingly, burglaries are becoming less common in the United States, with total reported cases dropping by 7% in the most recent year of available data. The decline in the burglary rates nationwide is being driven by steep declines in burglary rates in some major metropolitan areas.

In the Lawton metro area, located in Oklahoma, the total number of burglaries fell by 28.4% - from 1,010 in 2019 to 723 in 2020. The resulting decrease in the area's population-adjusted burglary rate was one of the largest of any U.S. metro areas.

The reported burglary rate in Lawton declined by about 232 incidents for every 100,000 people from 2019 to 2020. Despite the decrease, the metro area's burglary rate of 574 reported incidents per 100,000 people remains well above the national rate of 314 burglaries per 100,000 people.

All crime data used in this story is from the FBI's 2019 and 2020 Uniform Crime Reports. We considered all U.S. metropolitan areas for which the boundaries defined by the FBI match the boundaries as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.

RankMetro area1-yr. decline in burglary rate (burglaries per 100k people)Burglaries per 100k people, 2020Total burglaries, 2020Total burglaries, 20191Florence, SC2766731,3791,9452Sumter, SC2525297421,0933Lawton, OK2325747231,0104Vallejo, CA2186152,7513,7275Madera, CA2082263536826Sebring-Avon Park, FL2063123335467Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV1983758,68313,0038Sioux City, IA-NE-SD1763945698169New Bern, NC17653065788110Burlington, NC16043073899311Panama City, FL1464437751,09712Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ14639959381613Modesto, CA1463321,8252,62814Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ1414148891,17115Bakersfield, CA1397086,3587,59516Stockton, CA1313692,8173,77117Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY12718127947218Elmira, NY12715913123819Greenville, NC12035063885220Brownsville-Harlingen, TX1192751,1651,67021Abilene, TX11733056876522Tallahassee, FL1154451,7282,15423Anchorage, AK1134881,4881,83724Monroe, LA1128361,6651,90325Lafayette, LA1055152,5233,03126Goldsboro, NC10461575888727Toledo, OH1043652,3373,01128The Villages, FL10013919131829Jacksonville, FL983164,9966,41030Chico, CA983848331,11131Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI922209,47213,45132Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL912687,1389,38933Wilmington, NC883721,1271,38034Canton-Massillon, OH884021,5911,94635Alexandria, LA8810191,5411,68236Fort Wayne, IN862058511,20037Rockford, IL853401,1321,42438Spartanburg, SC855251,7031,94139Fort Smith, AR-OK835201,3031,50640Clarksville, TN-KY832868931,14541Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH832871,0151,31742St. George, UT8215027340843Charleston-North Charleston, SC743092,5333,08444Roanoke, VA7420965688745Johnson City, TN7327856771246California-Lexington Park, MD7122425533347Gainesville, FL693391,1201,34548Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA6936917,14020,26849Yuma, AZ6930165379350Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL682681,6292,019

(The Center Square) - The Oklahoma Legislature passed a bill Thursday that would allow civil actions against any physician that performs an abortion.

House Bill 4327 allows abortions in cases of rape, incest or to save the mother's life.

"This bill furthers our efforts to protect the life of the unborn and to stop those who participate in their deaths," said Rep. Sean Roberts, R-Hominy. "The sanctity of life is our most precious gift, and I'm happy to have lent my support to this and all the other pro-life bills that have passed the House."

The bill is similar to one passed by lawmakers in Texas and other states.

Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a separate bill last month that would make performing abortions a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. The law makes exceptions for medical emergencies and for saving the life of the mother.

Stitt said he would sign every pro-life bill that came across his desk.

"These issues belong to the states and other states may do things differently," Stitt said. "But in Oklahoma I represent all four million Oklahomans. They overwhelmingly do not support abortions in the state of Oklahoma."

The bill passed Thursday drew the ire of groups and politicians.

"Today, Oklahoma passed a law effectively banning abortion from the moment of fertilization—the latest in a series of blatant attacks on women by extremist legislators," Vice President Kamala Harris said on Twitter. "It has never been more urgent that we elect pro-choice leaders at the local, state, and federal level."

A document leaked from the U.S. Supreme Court indicates justices are leaning toward striking down the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision that legalized abortion in America.

"Politicians aren't waiting for the Supreme Court's ruling to block our access to abortion," the American Civil Liberties Union said in a Twitter post.

(The Center Square) - Oklahoma lawmakers will hold a concurrent legislative session to discuss spending funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.

The state has $1.8 billion available but has $17.8 billion in requests that were made to a joint committee, according to a news release from the Senate and House of Representatives.

"Ensuring the joint committee's public-driven process can run its full course is in Oklahoma's best interest," said Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, in a statement. "A concurrent session allows for a comprehensive, strategic plan to be enacted through appropriations after a full vetting of submissions and public discussion of how to best deploy these resources."

The Legislature will also discuss how to recoup nearly $700 million in tax incentives offered to a company should they choose not to locate in Oklahoma.

The state is reportedly vying with Kansas for a Panasonic manufacturing facility that would make batteries for electric cars. The project is referred to as "Project Ocean."

"We are confident Project Ocean will choose Oklahoma, but should it not, this mechanism allows for the legislative action necessary for the allocated funds to be quickly recaptured," said House Speaker Pro Tempore Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, in the news release.

Lawmakers will also discuss $250 million included in the state budget for the Progressing Rural Economic Prosperity Fund (PREP). The fund is used to upgrade areas of the state in hopes of competing for future economic opportunities, lawmakers said.

"The details of how to best deploy that $250 million in a way that helps make all of Oklahoma competitive for future economic megaprojects remain under discussion and, once finalized, can be codified in this session," said Senate Appropriations Vice Chairman Chuck Hall, R-Perry.

Lawmakers convened the special session Wednesday. It's scheduled to continue past the current legislative session.

The Legislature continues to wrap up a flurry of bills, including the $9.7 billion budget.

The Senate approved the spending plan by a 34-13 vote Wednesday. Four Republicans and all Senate Democrats voted against the bill. The budget includes $75 tax rebates for single filers and $150 rebates for married filers that would be paid in December.

Members of the Democratic caucus said the bill did not do enough for schools or residents.

"Oklahomans deserve a budget that is more responsive to the needs they have today," said Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, a member of the Senate appropriations and finance committees. "Today, a majority of Oklahomans face difficulty meeting their usual household expenses. They do not need $75 in December. They need relief today. "

The budget bill is now in the House of Representatives.

(The Center Square) - A bill that limits who has the authority to enter legal agreements relating to election procedures is now in the hands of Gov. Kevin Stitt.

Senate Bill 523, which passed by a 35-8 vote, specifies that only the Legislature can settle legal matters that would alter election procedures.

Sen. Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, one of the authors, said during a debate in the Senate on Monday that the bill has been in the works for several years and is meant to clarify what is already written in the constitution.

“In Oklahoma, the constitution and the U.S. Constitution both say that the time, place and manner of elections shall be set by state legislatures,” said Paxton. “It has happened in other states to where lawsuits have been settled by people who are not the Legislature. This goes in and clarifies that the only entity in Oklahoma that has the ability to change state election laws is the Oklahoma State Legislature. It would not allow any type of election board, secretary anywhere, or any executive branch member to go in and settle a lawsuit. It would say that duty rests with where the constitution says it does and that’s with us.”

Sen. Kay Floyd, D-Oklahoma City, who cast one of the dissenting votes, said she worried the bill could put a state employee in violation of federal law if the federal law required the state to conduct its elections in a way that went against state law.

Paxton said the bill did not apply to federal actions.

“This bill doesn’t change anything to do with federal law. This bill deals with what would happen at the state level,” Paxton said.

Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, another dissenting vote, said her concern was if a judge found something within the state’s election proceedings to be unconstitutional, it could take another election cycle before the Legislature was able to reconvene and address that.

“With this change, we could defer justice for an entire election cycle if an injustice was found, like for instance a discriminatory practice toward disabled folks trying to vote, they might miss an entire election until this might get fixed with this change,” said Kirt. “That’s my concern about this bill. I think we’re setting ourselves up to have a delay even if we find something’s egregiously bad.”

Paxton said the speaker and pro tem could both be given standing to challenge something in court related to election procedure.

“In other states you’ve had people who are not elected to office that settled lawsuits that were brought right before an election that significantly changed the election processes in those states and with that it also changed the fact that people’s confidence in the election was shaken. The fact that our election laws have been deliberated through this body, passed this body, signed by a governor, makes these where people are secure with our elections. We need to keep our elections safe and accurate as they are in Oklahoma,” Paxton said.

(The Center Square) - Oklahoma lawmakers said they reached a deal on the $9.7 billion budget for fiscal year 2023 on Tuesday that includes tax rebates but no cut in the sales tax on food.

Lawmakers agreed to spend $181 million to give taxpayers who file as single a $75 tax rebate and those who file jointly a $150 tax rebate, according to a news release from Republican House and Senate leaders.

The budget does not include any of the proposals submitted by Democrats and Republicans that would cut the grocery tax.

The budget is 9.7% higher than the fiscal year 2022 budget of $8.8 million. The Republican leadership said they plan to send the budget to Gov. Kevin Stitt this week.

Education gets the biggest piece of the budget, about 44%, according to lawmakers. Funding for education increased by 11.6% from $4.17 million in fiscal year 2022 to $4.65 million in this year's spending plan, according to a summary of the general appropriations bill.

The increase is still not enough, said Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, a former teacher.

"Half of our classroom teachers are leaving the state or leaving the profession entirely at the end of this school year," Hicks said in a news release. "With no new investment in common education, we are falling further behind and we are already $1.2 billion behind the regional average in per pupil investment. In a year where we have $1.4 billion in surplus, it's time to fill the gap."

The budget includes $700 million in incentives proposed by Stitt. While a specific company is not confirmed, Panasonic is allegedly considering Oklahoma as the site for an electric car battery manufacturer.

"Important to note that Panasonic has not made an announcement on whether they're coming to Oklahoma or not, but there is $700 million in the state budget for them anyway," Rep. Emily Virgin, D-Norman, said in a Twitter post.

Oklahoma State Troopers and agents with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation will receive 30% pay raises. The cost for trooper pay increases is $14.1 million, with $5.3 million allocated for OBI agents.

The attorney general's office will receive $10 million to "fight federal overreach by asserting Oklahoma's powers as a state under the U.S. Constitution to overturn or block unconstitutional federal policies," Republican leaders said in their news release.

Republican leaders said the budget is fiscally sound.

"This budget avoids overspending, helps families fight inflation and positions all Oklahomans for future prosperity, whether in times of opportunity or challenge," said House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka.

(The Center Square) - A bill that would merge the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security (OOHS) with the Department of Emergency Management (OEM) passed the Senate on Monday by a vote of 38-3.

Sen. Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, said Senate Bill 488 addresses an issue already accomplished through an executive order issued by the governor.

Gov. Kevin Stitt issued the order in Aug. 2020 to consolidate the locations of the two departments. At the time, Stitt said the move was meant to “create operating efficiencies and better use of taxpayer dollars” and said co-locating the two agencies would improve response and coordination, among other things.

An earlier version of the bill would have made the governor the chief officer of the Office of Homeland Security, but the version passed by the Senate on Monday makes the director of the Department of Emergency Management the chief officer. It also gives the director the authority to appoint a Homeland Security Advisor.

The bill is not expected to have a negative fiscal impact as long as existing appropriation bases for both departments are maintained and consolidated into one appropriation, according to staff analysts.

It states the Homeland Security Director will have the power to develop and coordinate implementation of a statewide strategy that will be integrated into the emergency operations plan. The breadth of the statewide strategy to “secure the State of Oklahoma” will span from public health emergencies to acts of terrorism, cyberterrorism and weapons of mass destruction, according to the bill.

The director, advisor and other designated agency staff would be commissioned as peace officers.

SB488 also provides for the creation of a revolving fund in the State Treasury for the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security Department and the Department of Emergency Management. The fund will not be subject to fiscal year limitations and consists of money received from reimbursements, grants, state agencies, entities of the state government, federal government sources, and money appropriated by the state, among other sources, according to the bill.

It also sanctions the creation of another fund designated as the Oklahoma School Security Revolving Fund, which will go toward the Oklahoma School Security Grant Program. The grants are expected to be made each year to “institutions of higher learning, technology center schools, public schools and private schools,” the bill said.

The grant program’s goal is to incentivize participation in school security training programs, increase awareness of risks, threats, and vulnerabilities of school campuses, and assist schools with initiating school security plans, according to the bill.

U.S. home sales skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, hitting a 15-year high of 6.1 million in 2021. The spike in demand, coupled with declining inventory, have put upward pressure on housing prices. Renters have not been spared, as housing has become one of the key drivers of surging U.S. inflation.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank, a family of four - two adults and two children - can expect to pay an estimated $15,031 on housing in 2022. This amount varies across the country, however, from state to state and city to city.

Of the four metro areas in Oklahoma, Lawton has the lowest housing costs. According to the EPI's Family Budget Calculator, a modest two-bedroom rental in the metro area will cost an estimated $9,072 in 2022, including utilities. For context, the statewide average cost of a comparable apartment is estimated at $10,059.

Rent prices often reflect the overall real estate market in a given area, and this pattern appears to hold in Lawton. Just as rents in the area are lower than the statewide average, so too, are home values. According to five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, the typical home in the metro area is worth $121,500, compared to the median home value of $142,400 across the state.

StateMetro area with lowest rental costEst. 2-bedroom rental cost, 2022, metro area ($)Est. 2-bedroom rental cost, 2022, statewide ($)Median home value, metro area ($)Median home value, statewide ($)AlabamaDothan8,4729,784131,600149,600AlaskaAnchorage14,64014,566301,100275,600ArizonaSierra Vista-Douglas10,48813,875150,100242,000ArkansasFort Smith8,7368,993119,500133,600CaliforniaVisalia11,50823,734223,600538,500ColoradoPueblo10,03217,157172,500369,900ConnecticutNorwich-New London14,72417,127246,800279,700DelawareDover12,79214,037226,600258,300FloridaSebring-Avon Park10,45215,232120,500232,000GeorgiaDalton9,03612,152136,800190,200HawaiiKahului-Wailuku-Lahaina21,26423,335657,400636,400IdahoPocatello9,38410,791165,800235,600IllinoisDecatur9,26413,692103,100202,100IndianaKokomo8,78410,331113,900148,900IowaDavenport-Moline-Rock Island9,4089,802141,600153,900KansasTopeka9,61210,740137,900157,600KentuckyOwensboro9,8529,687139,300147,100LouisianaMonroe9,64811,046134,500168,100MaineLewiston-Auburn11,36413,104166,600198,000MarylandCumberland8,80817,840131,300325,400MassachusettsSpringfield13,54822,294236,200398,800MichiganBay City9,31211,467106,400162,600MinnesotaSt. Cloud9,85213,486192,100235,700MississippiGulfport-Biloxi9,7209,546153,600125,500MissouriJefferson City8,13610,344162,100163,600MontanaGreat Falls9,69610,972184,400244,900NebraskaLincoln10,51210,551188,700164,000NevadaCarson City12,27613,543299,900290,200New HampshireManchester-Nashua15,76815,267287,900272,300New JerseyVineland-Bridgeton16,23619,811166,400343,500New MexicoLas Cruces8,80810,784153,600175,700New YorkUtica-Rome9,55220,092127,000325,000North CarolinaHickory-Lenoir-Morganton8,31611,360139,100182,100North DakotaFargo10,47610,236225,600199,900OhioMansfield8,80810,324115,100151,400OklahomaLawton9,07210,059121,500142,400OregonMedford12,46815,607294,500336,700PennsylvaniaJohnstown8,68812,41294,900187,500Rhode IslandProvidence-Warwick13,77614,502290,500276,600South CarolinaFlorence9,70811,096125,100170,100South DakotaSioux Falls10,4889,670208,400174,600TennesseeKingsport-Bristol8,41210,906140,800177,600TexasMcAllen-Edinburg-Mission8,86813,47590,000187,200UtahLogan9,38412,508252,800305,400VermontBurlington-South Burlington19,53614,321285,200230,900VirginiaLynchburg9,40815,870173,900282,800WashingtonSpokane-Spokane Valley12,08417,824243,000366,800West VirginiaWeirton-Steubenville8,8089,13395,400123,200WisconsinOshkosh-Neenah9,10810,970158,400189,200WyomingCasper10,41610,423215,400228,000

(The Center Square) – Testimony detailing financial inconsistencies and a “very favorable” contract toward Swadley’s Foggy Bottom Kitchen were heard by members of the Special Investigative Committee Thursday in the first hearing looking into possible mishandling of taxpayer money by the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department.

One of the people subpoenaed to give testimony, Office of Management and Enterprise Services Director Steven Harpe, was not present. Chairman Rep. Ryan Martinez, R-Edmond, said they would do “everything we can” to compel Harpe’s testimony.

Most of Thursday’s hearing revolved around questions directed to Mike Jackson, executive director of the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency, who was also subpoenaed. Jackson detailed findings in LOFT’s report on Oklahoma’s state parks, which first made public the possible mishandling of taxpayer money.

He said his office quickly discovered the amount of money spent by OTRD on food and beverage shot up to $5.97 million in fiscal year 2021, compared to the average annual expense of $58,000 the department spent in that category the entire decade prior.

Jackson also said the contract between OTRD and Swadley’s appeared “very favorable toward the vendor.”

“LOFT has been unable to find another contract that is structured in this way,” said Jackson.

When asked for examples of where the contract appeared to favor Swadley’s, Jackson said the contract afforded the restaurant chain a profit loss of $1 million and, through a later amendment, ratified expenses that the restaurant had already incurred, which he said was “very unique in a contractual setting.”

He said his office has been unable to determine who drew up the original contract in March 2020, but the first and second amendments made to the contract in 2021 both had the OTRD’s legal stamp.

Other items that raised red flags, according to Jackson, were inconsistent management and consulting fees that ranged from 5% to 35%.

“There is no rhyme or reason or pattern for how they actually charged,” Jackson said of the fees.

There were also multiple instances where items purchased by the restaurant chain were expensed far higher than LOFT could account for, according to Jackson. In one example, a cheese melter was expensed for over $11,000. The highest cost for a cheese melter that Jackson’s team could find from that same manufacturer was around $5,500.

Jackson said travel expenses in September 2020 were “very, very unique.” That month, 164,903 miles were reported. To put that mileage into perspective, Jackson said 93,000 miles is equivalent to going around the globe about four times. He said another unique factor that arose in the analysis was September 2020 was the only month where Swadley’s reported a profit, excluding travel expenses. All the other months showed a loss, Jackson said.

When asked if there were any safeguards or oversight procedures in place that should have caught the inconsistencies, Jackson said there were only controls in place to notify whether the department went over its total allocation, adding there should have been controls internally and externally from the state purchasing director.

“If they would have just specifically had controls in place, it would have saved Oklahoma taxpayers $12.4 million,” Jackson said.

(The Center Square) – Twenty-five state attorneys general, led by Alabama AG Steve Marshall, are calling on U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to enforce a federal law that prohibits anyone from targeting judges’ homes.

In a letter sent to Garland Wednesday, they wrote that federal law prohibits picketers and protestors from targeting judges’ homes, including the homes of Supreme Court justices, “with the intent of interfering with, obstructing, or impeding the administration of justice.”

“We the undersigned Attorneys General act daily to uphold the rule of law,” they wrote to Garland. “These remarkable recent events provide you an opportunity to do the same.”

After a Supreme Court raft opinion was leaked last week indicating the majority of justices were overturning the landmark abortion case, Roe v Wade, abortion activists published the addresses of the majority of the justices’ homes and organized protests outside of them. Some also posted threats of violence against them on social media platforms.

As law scholar James Hirsen said, “interference with the administration of justice in the manner in which it has recently been occurring is illegal,” pointing to federal statute 18 U.S.C. 1507. Penalty for violating the law results in a fine and/or a prison sentence of up to one year.

The attorneys general reference 18 US Code in their letter arguing Garland is duty bound to uphold it. They also point to threats of violence and actual violence perpetrated by abortion activists over the past week that have gone without punishment, while Garland has directed the Department of Justice to investigate parents. Some of the same attorneys general who signed the letter also sued over the DOJ’s call for surveilling parents who express concerns at school board meetings or other forums.

“You were quick to respond to the purported ‘threat’ of parents speaking out at local school board meetings (though the basis for your threat assessment was shaky to say the least). Here, in the face of escalating extremism directed at the judicial branch, you have an obvious role to play,” the attorneys general wrote.

“Congress recognized that pressuring judges to change their votes by protesting outside their homes directly threatens the rule of law,” they added. “You profess to share those concerns, having unequivocally stated that attacking a courthouse ‘to prevent judges from actually deciding cases’ plainly constitutes ‘domestic extremism, domestic terrorism.’”

The attorneys general argue that Garland must faithfully execute federal law “to prevent protestors from attempting to intimidate the Justices of the Supreme Court, both to protect the Justices and to safeguard the rule of law.”

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, who signed the letter, is also calling for an investigation into the protestors. She said, “The integrity of our courts is paramount to a free and democratic society. Any attempt to threaten or intimidate United States Supreme Court Justices so they change their votes should be thoroughly investigated by the Department of Justice – not just for the safety of judges and their families, but for the independence of our nation’s entire judicial system.”

Attorneys General from Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming also signed the letter.