The number of threats against federal judges has more than doubled in the past three years, posing a significant risk to democracy, according to recent testimony on Capitol Hill. Director Ronald Davis of the U.S. Marshal Service reported that over 450 federal judges received serious threats in 2023, more than double the number in 2021. The rise in threats has highlighted the need for enhanced judicial security.
In response to the alarming statistics, Congress enacted a law in 2021 that allows federal judges to protect certain personal information from public disclosure. The law was a result of years of advocacy from District Court Judge Esther Salas, who tragically lost her son when a gunman targeted her home in 2020. The assailant had obtained her address online. Salas has been tirelessly fighting for increased judicial security ever since.
