Federal judges call for more security amid spike in threats

Federal judges are warning of a growing trend of threats against those who serve on the bench, with some advocating for legislation that would scrub their personal information from the internet. 

“We need to understand that judges are at risk. We need to understand that we put ourselves in great danger every day for doing our jobs,” U.S. Judge Esther Salas told “60 Minutes” this week.”This fact has to wake us up.” 

Salas’s son was killed last July by a man who held a grudge against her and other female judges. In a manifesto, the shooter referred to Salas as a “lazy Latina,” and the judge said she learned later during FBI briefings she was the target of the attack at her front door.

Salas has been advocating for federal legislation to remove personal information for judges from the internet. CBS News reported the last time a judiciary security upgrade was considered was after a federal judge in Chicago found her husband and mother shot dead by a disgruntled plaintiff.

Threats of federal judges have jumped 400 percent to more than 4,000 last year, CBS News reported, a trend Salas and other federal judges could lead to deadly consequences. 

“I did choose to become a public servant,” Salas said. “And if anyone has a problem with what I’ve ruled in a particular case, they can appeal. If anyone is upset, the courthouse address, you know, it’s known to everyone. Come to the courthouse. But why do you need to come to my house?” 

U.S. District Judge James Robart, who temporarily blocked former President Trump’s travel ban from majority Muslim countries, told the outlet he also received similar harassment following his ruling. 

Trump in a tweet at the time attacked Robart, calling him a “so-called” judge.

“When you call someone a so-called judge, what you do is you attack the judiciary,” Robart responded. “You may not even have wanted to convey that message, but that’s the message which your 40 million Twitter followers took down, which was you were never authorized to issue this decision.”