Judicial Security and Independence

The Christian Science Monitor reports that, amid a sharp rise in threats and recent killings of judges, the U.S. Judicial Conference issued an advisory opinion last month explicitly allowing federal judges to speak publicly about judicial security, breaking with the traditional norm that they communicate only through written opinions. Earlier this week Chief Justice John Roberts warned that personal attacks on judges are "dangerous," and four sitting federal judges — Beth Bloom, Anna Reyes, Michelle Williams Court, and Esther Salas — spoke on the record at a virtual forum organized by a new nonpartisan group, Speak Up for Justice, describing how threats have become routine. The U.S. Marshals Service says serious threats to federal judges doubled between 2021 and 2024, while recent attacks include the 2020 shooting at Judge Salas’ home that killed her son and wounded her husband, and multiple murders of state judges in Wisconsin and Maryland. Judges described anonymous death threats, harassment such as repeated pizza deliveries, and messages targeting their children, underscoring how decisions that anger litigants or political actors now regularly bring personal danger. The shift toward public advocacy by normally reticent judges reflects mounting concern that escalating political rhetoric — including criticism from President Donald Trump — is eroding respect for judicial independence and could chill judges’ willingness to rule against powerful interests.