Something Terrifying Is Happening to America’s Judges

Gavel and scales of justice on wooden table.

Federal judges are breaking their unprecedented silence to warn that escalating death threats, swatting attacks, and coordinated harassment campaigns represent a direct assault on American constitutional order and judicial independence.

Story Highlights

Threats against federal judges increased 400% since 2015, reaching over 4,500 incidents in 2021
Three judges murdered at their homes between 2020-2023, including Judge Salas’s son killed by gunman
Senate unanimously passes bill creating State Judicial Threat Intelligence Center in November 2025
Judges report “pizza doxing,” swatting, and wanted posters as intimidation tactics escalate

Judges Sound Alarm on Democracy Under Attack

Federal judges across party lines have taken the extraordinary step of publicly warning that sustained intimidation campaigns threaten America’s constitutional foundation. At a recent forum titled “Judges Break Their Silence: Attacks, Intimidation & Threats to Democracy,” five sitting federal judges described an “unprecedented” environment where political actors systematically attack judicial independence. Chief Judge John McConnell Jr., with nearly 50 years on the bench, stated the current situation has “shook his faith in the judicial system” for the first time in his career.

The judges detailed specific intimidation tactics that go far beyond traditional criticism. Judge John Coughenour faced swatting after upholding birthright citizenship, while multiple judges received “pizza doxing” deliveries under the name of Daniel Anderl—Judge Esther Salas’s murdered son—accompanied by threatening notes. “Wanted” posters featuring judges’ photos have appeared in federal buildings, representing a calculated effort to endanger judicial officers. These tactics mirror historical patterns that preceded democratic collapse in other nations, as the judges explicitly noted.

Deadly Violence Escalates Against Judicial Officers

The threat environment has moved beyond intimidation to lethal violence. In July 2020, a gunman posing as a delivery driver attacked Judge Esther Salas’s New Jersey home, killing her 20-year-old son Daniel Anderl and wounding her husband. The attacker used publicly available personal information to target the family in retaliation for her judicial role. Wisconsin Judge John Roemer was murdered at his home by a former defendant in 2022, followed by Maryland Judge Andrew Wilkinson’s shooting death outside his residence by a family court litigant in 2023.

Data from the U.S. Marshals Service reveals the scope of this crisis. Threats against individuals under federal protection—including judges, prosecutors, and court officials—reached over 4,500 in 2021, representing a staggering 400% increase since 2015. Serious threats against federal judges more than doubled between fiscal years 2021 and 2023, according to federal judiciary statistics. This surge coincides with highly politicized litigation around elections, immigration, and executive power that has transformed certain judges into partisan targets.

Constitutional Crisis Threatens Rule of Law

Senior judges warn that sustained intimidation campaigns represent more than personal safety concerns—they threaten America’s constitutional structure. Judge Esther Salas emphasized that the pattern of threats constitutes “a real threat to democracy, judicial security and independence.” Political leaders who label judges “crooked” or “rogue” for unpopular rulings create conditions where extremists feel justified in targeting judicial officers. This undermines the separation of powers that protects individual liberty from government overreach.

The long-term implications extend to judicial recruitment and decision-making. Qualified attorneys may decline appointments due to safety concerns, while sitting judges face implicit pressure in high-profile cases. Judges report attempts “to threaten us to violate our oath” and take focus off the rule of law. This chilling effect weakens courts as a check on legislative and executive power—a cornerstone of American constitutional government that conservatives have long championed as essential to protecting individual rights and limiting government authority.