Federal judges on Thursday turned a spotlight on personal threats against them, reading profane death messages and describing what they said has become a growing part of their work—even though judges generally keep their comments to courtrooms and written decisions.
The forum was hosted by Speak Up for Justice, a nonpartisan group that supports an independent judiciary. Organizers said Thursday’s event, held in Washington, was the second time the group has staged a similar forum after an earlier event last year.
Chief Justice John Roberts took part and warned against personal criticism of judges. In remarks at the forum, Roberts said, “it’s got to stop,” and he tied the warning to what he characterized as dangerous public commentary aimed at judges.
The judges said threats are not only expressed online or by rhetoric aimed at their rulings, but also through messages directed at their families and daily lives. Mark Norris, a U.S. District Judge in Tennessee, said the threats have become routine and described a pattern of unsolicited pizzas delivered to judges’ homes.
Norris also recalled receiving pizza deliveries in connection with Daniel Anderl, the slain son of a federal judge in New Jersey. He said that in Anderl’s name, dozens of judges have received unsolicited pizza deliveries at their rural homes.
Roberts’ comments came as judges pushed back on criticism that their rulings reflect the political affiliations of presidents who appointed them. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, who sits in Washington, said she sits with four other judges appointed by President Donald Trump and called them “phenomenal judges,” adding that she would trust them to handle a case even if they did not always reach the same decision.
Reyes said she used part of a court hearing last month to read death threats and messages she received after a ruling she described as blocking the Trump administration from ending temporary immigration protections for Haitians living in the United States . She said she read the threats again at Thursday’s forum.
Other judges described threats that involved their homes and children. Dolly Gee, a U.S. District Judge, told the forum that messages threatened to kill her at home and said one of those messages led to an indictment. Michelle Williams Court said Roberts helped open discussion about the threats and recalled a threat against her children years ago that led her and her husband to inform their school.
Court also said she has seen an increase in “veiled threats” in court filings by attorneys. The judges’ remarks aligned with a description from the U.S. Marshals Service of a rise in threat reporting, with the agency saying it recorded 564 threats in the government fiscal year that ended in September—up from the year before.
The judges also urged broader public engagement rather than silence or intimidation. Gee and Court, along with others on the panel, said the issue required people to speak up in ways that support the judiciary’s ability to decide cases without fear, and Court said it was not only the judges who needed to respond to the attacks.