Violence, threats to defy lawful judgments, and other “illegitimate activity” endangers the independence of the federal judiciary, Chief Justice John Roberts said in his annual year-end report.
Roberts said his warning echoed a 2004 message from then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist, who wrote that criticism of judges had dramatically increased.
“That statement is just as true, if not more so, today,” Roberts wrote in his 2024 Year End Report on the Federal Judiciary, released Tuesday.
The chief justice’s focus is notable, as his annual report typically ignores current concerns surrounding the justices and the institution.
Last year, amid a string ...