WASHINGTON — A group of federal judges on Thursday added to their concerns about an increase in violent threats against members of the judiciary at a time when President Donald Trump has stepped up criticism of the courts.
The four sitting judges spoke at an online forum organized by “Speak Up for Justice”, a legal group formed to defend the judiciary and the rule of law.
“I don’t think being a federal judge is a job for the faint of heart. What I probably didn’t expect for this degree was the level of vitriol and the types of violent threats that have come across my desk over the years,” Chief Judge Dolly Gee said.
A growing number of threats against federal judges in recent years has raised alarm within the judiciary, according to data maintained by the US Marshals Service. The agency says there have been 314 investigations involving 202 judges since October.
Among the speakers is Washington-based U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, an appointee of President Joe Biden who has been at the center of some high-profile Trump-related cases.
In February, Reyes read aloud his courtroom threats after blocking the Trump administration from removing protected status from Haitian immigrants. The Trump administration’s attempt to block that ruling is currently pending before the Supreme Court.
He ruled against the administration over its attempt to ban transgender people from the military, a policy the Supreme Court later allowed to take effect.
“What’s most problematic is that the extraordinary is normal. Every judge who gives a high-profile opinion … gets a constant flood of emails and threats like this. I hear it from judges all the time,” Reyes said.
“I think a lot of bashing and a lot of threats on social media come from fear and misunderstanding, fear of what’s going on in society,” he said.
Three other judges recounted their personal experiences of threats from all kinds of cases, not just those with political overtones. He lamented the role of social media and criticized journalists for including the names of presidents who appointed judges while reporting their verdicts. Such information gives the appearance that the judge is biased, he said.
Judge Mark Norris, a Trump appointee based in Tennessee, spoke about the need for a more respectful conversation about the judiciary.
“We have to translate it into words that people understand these days. It’s a heavy lift, but we have to do this work,” he said.
Judge Michelle Williams Court, based in California, echoed those sentiments, urging people to educate themselves about how the judiciary works.
“A big part of the driving force behind threats to the judiciary is that there is an information vacuum on the Internet and social media,” he said.
The judges repeatedly emphasized that threats do not deter them from doing their jobs.
Many of the judges who have been targeted recently have ruled against the Trump administration in high-profile cases, some of which have drawn sharp criticism from Trump or his allies. Some Republicans have called for the impeachment of the judge who ruled against Trump.
Among other things, the judge has faced a wave of angry voicemails and threats. There was also an unusual series of anonymous pizza deliveries to judges’ homes. NBC News reported last year that the judge saw it as a form of intimidation, which could be linked to foreign actors.
NBC News reported separately in September that some justices are frustrated that the Supreme Court’s frequent rulings in favor of Trump over the past year, often without explanation, are contributing to a negative discourse about the judiciary. Some of those judges said Chief Justice John Roberts could have done more to protect the lower courts.
The narrative has shifted in recent weeks, with Trump turning his anger on the Supreme Court itself after it ruled that his broad tariffs were illegal.
Earlier this week, Roberts, in rare public remarks, said personal attacks against judges are dangerous and “need to stop.”
