The justice system in the United States is under attack. This is not a totally silent assault.
President Trump and his minions freely call judges names. Calling federal judges such things as “leftist” or “radical” or “deranged” or “monsters” or “idiots” has been a Trump rallying cry.
I don’t know if Trump understands the danger in doing this or whether he is just following the lead of his people like Stephen Miller who know it is a basic way to erode confidence and ultimately destroy the rule of law in our country.
A federal judge takes a vow “to follow the rule of law without fear or favor.”
The unique U.S. judiciary
We have a unique judicial system in the United States. Judges are independent of politics – or they used to be. Our judicial system is the envy of other countries where a national leader can call a judge and dictate how they rule on a case. Law students in the former Soviet Union marvel at our independent judiciary.
Attack on Judge Salas’ family
In July 2020, Judge Esther Salas opened the front door of her home in New Jersey and was met with an angry young man with a gun. Salas’ husband was shot and her son, Daniel, was shot and killed.
The cowardly assailant then turned the gun on himself and was dead when police arrived.
But the killer didn’t just wake up one day and decide to try to murder Judge Salas or her family. He was spoon fed hate speech from the President of the United States. If the President says judges are terrible people, it must be true. Right?
But it did not stop there. Not only has it not stopped; it is escalating.
Intimidation by Pizza
After Daniel’s murder, federal judges across the nation started receiving pizza deliveries – pizzas they had not ordered. Pizzas were being delivered “from Daniel.”
The message was clear: “Judge _____, we know where you live.”
Some adult children of federal judges who don’t even live in the same state as their parents have received such pizzas “from Daniel.”
The message to judges is clear: “Judge ____, we know who your children are and we know where they live.”
At least 50 federal judges have received unwanted pizzas “from Daniel.”
It goes beyond Intimidation by Pizza
Federal Judge Jack McConnell has received six death threats. Laura Loomer, one of Trump’s unofficial advisors, and Elon Musk have launched verbal attacks on his daughter.
Judge McConnell has been wrongly accused of judicial misconduct. A member of Congress went so far as posting a “Wanted!” poster in the halls of the U.S. Capitol with Judge McConnell’s photograph. There are unfounded articles of impeachment pending against Judge McConnell.
Federal Judge Robert Lasnik is being asked by younger judges, “How can I keep my family safe?” Judge Lasnik and his adult children have received pizzas “from Daniel.”
Federal Judge John Coughenour says he signed up for this, but his family did not. A SWAT team was sent to his home when someone told police that the judge had murdered his wife. Of course, it was not true. He has been the victim of bomb threats.
Federal Judge Esther Salas grieves that her dead son’s name is being weaponized by the people who hear Trump call judges names and take that as a call to action to intimidate and threaten the lives of judges. She says we need to recognize this for what it is: A real threat to our democracy.
Attacks from the White House are unprecedented
In the decade after the Brown v. Board of Education U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1954, some judges who tried to enforce the desegregation of public schools ruling were victims of verbal assault; however, Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy supported the Supreme Court ruling.
For President Trump to now brazenly and proudly criticize court rulings and the judges who make them is unprecedented. Federal judges have never before been attacked by the U.S. President or White House staff.
This is serious. This is unacceptable.
This is a concerted attack on the independent judicial system in the United States of America.
What can we do?
We can educate ourselves about what is happening.
We can tell our friends and relatives what is happening, because this is more widespread than most of us realize.
We can explain to teens and young adults who are too young to know that attacks on judges is not normal that this is a direct result of the reckless behavior of President Trump and those who follow his lead.
We can speak up for justice and the rule of law every time we know it if being attacked.
“We the people” are the United States of America. It behooves each of us to defend the rule of law.
Janet
Janet's Writing Blog 