Yesterday, Judge Raymond Myles was shot and killed outside his home in Chicago’s Far South Side. Police are still searching for a suspect and a motive, although it appears that his death may have simply been the result of attempted robbery.
We are attuned to stories of judges being threatened or attacked because of their profession. And such threats, whether explicit or otherwise, are taken very seriously. But this story, where it appears the victim just happened to be a judge, reminds us that members of the judiciary live among us. When they take off their robes and leave the courthouse for the day, they are ordinary members of society with the same needs for food, clothing, security, and happiness as the rest of us.
Six years ago, after Judge John Roll was killed in the same Arizona shooting that terribly injured Gabby Giffords, I shared some similar thoughts.
My deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Judge Myles.
The Interdependent Third Branch 