Chief Justice John Roberts, speaking at a legal conference during a time of increased threats against members of the judiciary, cautioned on Saturday that inflammatory political rhetoric about judges can provoke real-world violence.
While he didn’t mention specific individuals, Roberts clearly alluded to both former President Donald Trump and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. He noted that in recent years, he has felt compelled to publicly respond to comments from both sides of the political spectrum that he viewed as crossing a line.
“It becomes entangled in political disputes where a judge doing their job is suddenly seen as part of the problem,” Roberts said while addressing a gathering of legal professionals in Charlotte, North Carolina. “The danger is that someone could take those words too far. We have already seen serious threats and even attempted violence against judges for simply carrying out their responsibilities. Political leaders on both sides need to be mindful of that.”
His remarks came during a conversation with Judge Albert Diaz, the chief judge of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, at the circuit’s annual judicial conference. The appearance occurred just one day after the Supreme Court concluded its term, issuing a decision favoring Trump that restricts lower courts from imposing sweeping national injunctions that could block executive policies.
Roberts has previously responded to political attacks on the judiciary. In 2018, he pushed back after Trump labeled a judge who had ruled against his asylum policy an “Obama judge,” defending the integrity of the judiciary as independent. More recently, he dismissed calls to impeach federal judges, which followed Trump’s criticism of a ruling that hampered his immigration plans.
In 2020, Roberts publicly rebuked Schumer for saying that Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch would “pay the price” over a then-pending abortion case. Schumer later admitted his language was inappropriate.
The consequences of heated rhetoric were made starkly clear in 2022, when an armed individual was arrested outside Kavanaugh’s home shortly before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. In April of this year, the suspect, Nicholas John Roske, pleaded guilty to attempting to assassinate the justice.
Roberts’ warning serves as a reminder of the growing risks facing members of the judiciary, and the potential consequences when political discourse spills over into threats or violence.
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