U. S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts expressed concerns about rising threats to judges in the country, including disinformation, violence, intimidation, and challenges to court decisions. In his year-end report, he emphasized that these threats undermine the judicial system and are unacceptable.
Roberts noted that the spread of disinformation online complicates the ability of the federal judiciary to operate independently. He explained that when people distort the facts or legal basis for court rulings, it can erode public confidence in the justice system. Judges typically communicate through their decisions and do not generally hold press conferences or issue rebuttals, making it harder to combat this issue.
The report comes on the heels of significant Supreme Court rulings regarding presidential immunity and follows Donald Trump's criticism of judges and prosecutors involved in his criminal cases. Roberts acknowledged that criticism of the judiciary is an old practice, stating that some criticism could be healthy in a democracy. However, he pointed out that not all criticism is constructive and mentioned four main threats to judicial independence: violence, intimidation, disinformation, and defiance of lawful judgments.
He highlighted alarming incidents, citing acts of violence against judges and their families over the years. The U. S. Marshals Service reported that threats against judges have surged, with over 1,300 incidents investigated in 2022 alone.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_3aa805f0-c944-11ef-b1ff-2b0f45b1cc08.html
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