The federal judiciary is raising concerns over inadequate funding for judges’ security, especially as threats against them rise and intimidation tactics become more common. A group of federal judges recently highlighted that more than sixty judges, who are dealing with lawsuits linked to the previous Trump administration, are receiving extra online security measures to protect their personal information.
Judges have faced increasing hostility, particularly from public figures including former President Donald Trump and his advisor Stephen Miller. Trump has criticized judges who blocked parts of his policies, even suggesting their impeachment. This situation escalated when Trump called for the impeachment of a judge who temporarily prevented deportations, prompting a swift response from Chief Justice John Roberts.
According to U.S. Circuit Judge Amy J. St. Eve and U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad Jr., nearly fifty individuals have been charged in connection with threats against judges. St. Eve, who was appointed by Trump, noted that the U.S. Marshals Service has had to implement extreme measures to protect judges in serious cases.
Furthermore, a troubling trend has emerged where judges and their families have received unsettling and unwanted pizza deliveries at their homes. U.S. District Judge Esther Salas shared that these deliveries have occurred hundreds of times. Recently, some were sent in the name of her late son Daniel, who was tragically killed in 2020. Salas warned that the message behind these deliveries is clear: an attempt to instill fear by suggesting that judges and their families are being watched.
In another related incident, police reported that a sister of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett received a bomb threat in Charleston, South Carolina, though no explosives were found.
Judges have expressed that the current funding for security measures is inadequate, falling nearly $50 million short of what is needed. This situation has raised alarms within the judiciary about the safety of judges and the effectiveness of the current security provisions in place.
