US News
Studies detail rising threats and security measures among U.S. federal judges
Interviews by legal scholars show jurists adopting panic buttons, private guards, and safe rooms amid mounting intimidation.
The short version
- Two new academic studies show federal judges increasingly fortifying their residences, altering travel routines, and hiring private security to cope with heightened harassment.
- Court administration data shows significant security incidents involving the judiciary surged 57% in the year ending September 2025.
- One anonymous judge admitted to hesitating over a legal ruling due to fears of retaliation against family members before deciding to follow the law.
- The authors and participating judges are urging increased federal funding for security, greater privacy protections for personal data, and more criminal prosecutions.
Key facts
- Studies conducted by researchers at NYU, UC Berkeley, and the Brennan Center for Justice compiled testimony from dozens of sitting and retired federal judges appointed by both Democratic and Republican presidents.[Associated Press · ABC News]
- According to a March report from the court system's administrative agency, high-concern security incidents rose 57% in the year ending September 2025 and continued to trend upward.[Associated Press · ABC News]
- Judges described implementing protective measures such as installing residential panic buttons, constructing safe rooms, and altering daily commuting habits.[Associated Press · ABC News]
- One interviewed judge reported receiving over 700 threatening phone calls after presiding over an immigration matter involving the Trump administration.[Associated Press · ABC News]
- U.S. District Judge Esther Salas stated that rhetoric against the judiciary from President Donald Trump and his administration has escalated her safety concerns.[Associated Press · ABC News]
What remains uncertain
- The full extent to which judicial decisions across the federal bench have been swayed by safety concerns remains unknown, as participating judges largely spoke anonymously.[Associated Press · ABC News]