By: Sebastian North
Across the United States, judges are facing a wave of threats, harassment, and political intimidation that is only growing stronger. Once considered rare and exceptional, these threats have now become increasingly and disturbingly routine. Over the past 10 to 15 years, incidents targeting judges have surged dramatically, with attacks ranging from threats like online harassment and doxxing to actual physical violence and attempted assassinations. These incidents pose a direct threat not only to the individuals targeted but also to the rule of law, judicial independence, and the human rights protections that rely on an impartial judiciary.
This briefing outlines the nature and scope of the threat the judiciary faces and provides policy recommendations that, if implemented, would help protect judges while strengthening judicial integrity in the United States.
ESCALATING THREATS: TRENDS AND STATISTICS
Federal data shows a clear and alarming trend. Verified threats and inappropriate communications against federal judges and court personnel rose from roughly 900 incidents in 2015 to over 4,500 in 2021, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. In 2025, over 400 threats had already been logged by mid-year, more than doubling the number of threats from the same period in 2024.
A 2024 report by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges found that 56.1% of judges had received some kind of threats during their tenure, with nearly half taking additional safety precautions as a result. The situation has gotten worse in 2025, particularly in cases with political impacts between March and May 2025, 197 federal judges received direct threats.
Digital platforms have played a significant role in this escalation. The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) reported a 327% rise in violent threats against judges on sites like 4Chan, Gab, and X, with a 537% increase in such posts on TikTok alone from May 2024 to March 2025 . These attacks often spike in correlation with inflammatory political rhetoric, notably, after statements by former President Donald Trump targeting individual judges, there have been cases of violence being threatened against those judges.
CASE STUDIES: FROM ONLINE ABUSE TO DEADLY ATTACKS
The Salas Case (2020) On July 19, 2020: A gunman posing as a delivery driver appeared at the New Jersey home of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas. The gunman shot and killed Salas’s 20-year-old son, Daniel Anderl, and critically injured her husband. The attacker, a self-described “anti-feminist lawyer,” had published hateful online rhetoric opposing female judges and had used publicly available information to locate Salas’s residence. This event led to the passage of Daniel’s Law in New Jersey, which banned the publication of judges’ home addresses.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh (2022): In 2022, a California man was arrested outside the home of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The man was armed and planned to assassinate Kavanaugh in response to the Dobbs decision. This incident is another example that highlights the political polarization surrounding the judiciary and the growing risk of retaliatory violence against judges.
Swatting and Harassment (2023–2024)
Multiple judges handling politically sensitive cases, including Judges Tanya Chutkan and Arthur Engoron, were targeted in swatting attacks, or false emergency calls intended to provoke a police response. Judge Engoron also received white powder in the mail in February 2024. These tactics are designed to scare and silence members of the judiciary in attempts to sway the cases in favor the attacker’s desired outcome.
Earlier Online Threats (2010)
As early as 2010, individuals like radio host Hal Turner were convicted for threatening judges. Turner publicly posted the addresses and photos of three 7th Circuit judges and called for their assassination, posting on his blog “These Judges deserve to be killed.” This event is an example of how politically motivated threats have been amplified in the digital age.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Transfer Protective Authority to the Judiciary
Legislation introduced by Rep. Jamie Raskin and Sen. Cory Booker proposes shifting control of judicial protection from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to the judiciary itself. This would help insulate judicial security from political interference and allow faster response to emerging threats
2. Enhance Digital Privacy and Enforce Daniel’s Law Nationwide
Judges’ personal data is 45% more exposed online than professionals in other sectors A national version of Daniel’s Law should be adopted to restrict publication of judges’ private information and penalize doxxing.
3. Strengthen Online Moderation
Tech companies must be held accountable for threats made on their platforms. Groups like Global Witness and others urge social media platforms to implement faster threat detection, and increased moderation, along with real-time removal of violent content or content that incites violence.
4. Develop AI-Powered Threat Monitoring
The Bolch Judicial Institute has recommended the use of artificial intelligence and open-source intelligence (OSINT) tools to monitor threats in real time. These tools, along with mental health resources, can help prevent violence and reduce the psychological toll the attacks and threats have on judges.
5. Limit Inflammatory Political Rhetoric
High-ranking officials must refrain from using dehumanizing or conspiratorial rhetoric targeting judges, because it is often this rhetoric that leads to attacks. Justice Anthony Kennedy and CBS legal analysts have called for stricter ethical guidelines to prevent influential political figures from inciting public outrage against the judiciary.
6. Reform Judicial Elections
The Brennan Center for Justice proposes reducing the influence of dark money in judicial elections, strengthening recusal standards, and expanding public financing. These reforms can help reduce perceptions of bias and limit politicized backlash. These reforms strengthen the concept of an impartial judiciary and incentivize legality and honesty amongst judges.
CONCLUSION
The sustained rise in threats against judges in the United States represents a clear and growing crisis. From online radicalization to real-world violence, the erosion of judicial safety undermines and threatens the democratic principle of an independent judiciary. These attacks not only endanger individuals but also impact judicial decision-making, and weaken accountability.
A response to these growing threats is urgently needed. Legal reforms, technological safeguards, and cultural shifts must be implemented to protect judges from intimidation and ensure the justice system remains independent and secure in the face of mounting pressure.
Sources:
politicsblog.org 
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