Hundreds of federal judges have reported violent threats against themselves and their families this year, according to the US Marshals Service, which said security incidents it classifies as of 'significant concern' rose nearly 60 percent in fiscal 2025 and are projected to climb again in fiscal 2026 [1].
The Marshals Service did not release an exact number of judges threatened. Its public accounting stops at 'hundreds' [1]. What it can document is a direction of travel rather than a headcount, and the direction is up.
Chief Judge John McConnell of the US District Court for the District of Rhode Island said the death threats against him escalated after a 2025 ruling that blocked a Trump administration funding freeze. His daughter was doxxed and his wife was threatened, and he traced the harassment to what he called "dog whistles" from government leaders [1]. His work, he said, is anchored by the rule of law even as the threats mount.
Judge Esther Salas of the US District Court for the District of New Jersey spoke from a place few of her colleagues share. Her 20-year-old son, Daniel Anderl, was shot and killed at the family home in 2020 by a disgruntled lawyer who came to the door. Describing the trajectory since, Salas said, "they have gotten a whole heck of a lot more dangerous for judges" [1]. Multiple judges, she noted, have received anonymous pizza deliveries placed in her murdered son's name, an intimidation tactic understood as a signal that a target's home address is known [1].
The PBS NewsHour segment set the surge against what it described as dehumanizing attacks on judges from political leaders and administration officials. Salas called on leadership to tone down the rhetoric and to criticize judges on the merits of their rulings rather than as individuals [1].
