Chief Justice John Roberts has criticized elected officials for threatening judges and ignoring court rulings, and in his year-end report Tuesday, Roberts highlighted what he said was part of “illegal activity” that threatens the rule of law.
Roberts did not name the specific person, but referred to a federal district judge “whose decisions in a high-profile case” prompted calls for impeachment by elected officials and the need for bar associations to “step up to the defense.”
“Attempts to threaten judges over their decisions in cases are inappropriate and should be strongly opposed,” Roberts wrote. “Public officials have the right to criticize the work of the judiciary, but they must keep in mind that intemperate comments about judges can trigger dangerous reactions in others.”
During her nearly two decades as Chief Justice, Roberts has focused on enhancing the Supreme Court’s image and putting it above partisan politics. His comments come as public trust in the courts is near an all-time low and a heightened threat environment has raised concerns about the safety of judges.
The report makes no mention of President-elect Trump, but comes as Republicans are expected to take unified control of Washington when Trump returns to the White House next month. Trump has regularly accused the judges overseeing his legal cases of political bias, and his criticism of judges appointed by former President Obama during his first presidential campaign drew a rare public rebuke from Roberts at the time.
The chief justice’s report went on to criticize elected officials for publicly defying the federal court’s ruling, calling it a “dangerous proposal” that should be rejected. It’s unclear who Roberts was referring to, but he said the calls came “from across the political spectrum.”
“Making everyone happy is not the essence of judicial work. In most cases, there are winners and losers. Every administration suffers defeat in the court system. Sometimes they have a major impact on executive or legislative power or other consequential subjects,” Roberts wrote.
He frequently used his report on the federal judiciary, published each year on New Year’s Eve, to focus on the independence and physical safety of judges. In other years, Roberts has covered topics such as artificial intelligence.
This year he once again raised awareness of violence against judges, highlighting the growing number of threats coming online and in the form of doxxing. Roberts pointed out that some federal judges now have full-time security details or have been issued bulletproof vests for public events.
“In today’s computer age, intimidation can take many forms. Frustrated litigants are outraged by the judicial decision on the Internet and urge readers to send a message to the judge,” Roberts wrote.
“They falsely claim that judges are held accountable on their behalf because of the judge’s race, gender, or ethnicity, or because of the political party of the president who appointed the judge. Some of these messages promote violence. “For example, they set fire to or blew up the courthouse where the target worked,” he continued.
Roberts concluded by briefly noting that federal courts, along with other courts, “must do their part” to maintain public trust.
“Our judges must stay within their assigned areas of responsibility and do their best.
The report says these responsibilities must be handled fairly.
“We do so by limiting ourselves to ‘cases or controversies’ and maintaining a healthy respect for the work of elected officials on behalf of the people they represent. I believe that Article 3 judges and corresponding officials in other branches of government are the “rights of our country,” Roberts said. “We will faithfully carry out our duties to achieve ‘successful cooperation’, which is essential for continued success,” he added.
