Threats against prosecutors and judges in the United States have reached an alarming level, with experts attributing the rise in intimidation and violence to the current political climate, growing polarization, and the spread of misinformation on social media. The increase in threats has been particularly pronounced in cases involving former President Donald Trump. The New York and Georgia criminal cases against Trump, which had high-profile hearings today, have put prosecutors in these cases at risk.
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, which is responsible for protecting federal judges, the number of threats against federal judges has more than doubled in the past three years. In the fiscal year ending in September 2023, the service recorded 457 serious threats against federal judges, compared to 224 threats in fiscal year 2021. Threats against federal prosecutors have also more than doubled during this period.
