WASHINGTON – Attorney General Merrick Garland Wednesday condemned rising threats targeting Supreme Court justices amid continuing protests over a leaked draft opinion that would overturn the landmark abortion decision Roe v. Wade.
Following a meeting with federal law enforcement officials including the Supreme Court’s chief security official, Garland said authorities would “take all appropriate actions to further enhance the security of justices and the court.”
The meeting comes after protesters took the unprecedented step of marching to justices’ homes earlier this month. At that time, Garland directed the U.S. Marshals Service to assist in providing 24-hour security.
“The rise of violence and unlawful threats of violence directed at those who serve the public is unacceptable and dangerous to our democracy,” Garland said. “I want to be clear: while people vote, argue, and debate in a democracy, we must not – we cannot – allow violence or unlawful threats of violence to permeate our national life.”
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“The Justice Department will not tolerate violence or threats of violence against judges or any other public servants at work, home, or any other location.”
Republicans have argued the protests threatened “mob rule” and were potentially illegal by aiming to influence the justices since the draft’s release. Some Democrats have cheered the protests, but others condemned vigils held outside justices’ homes as “outrageous” and no way to plead the case.
At Wednesday’s security meeting, officials discussed “ongoing efforts to enhance coordination, intelligence sharing, and technical support” to bolster protection for the justices.
The group included U.S. Marshals Service Director Ron Davis, FBI Deputy Director Paul M. Abbate, U.S. Supreme Court Marshal Gail Curley, Supreme Court Police Chief Paul Coleman, and Jeff Minear, counselor to Chief Justice John Roberts.
The court, which does not comment on security measures for the justices as a matter of policy, declined to comment.
The protests come as threats against the judiciary have increased “dramatically” in recent years, tracking a growing hostility in the country’s political discourse, said Donald Washington, who headed the U.S. Marshals Service from 2019 to 2021.
Contributing: Bart Jansen
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