Chief Justice John Roberts defends judiciary from 'illegitimate' attacks [View all]
Source: NBC News
Dec. 31, 2024, 6:00 PM EST
WASHINGTON — Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday blasted what he called "illegitimate activity" aimed at undermining the independence of the judiciary. While facing criticism of contentious court rulings is part of the job for judges, some recent actions have crossed the line, Roberts said in his annual end-of-year report.
He outlined four areas of concern: violence, intimidation, disinformation and threats to defy court judgments. All four "undermine our Republic, and are wholly unacceptable," Roberts wrote.
He did not specify many concrete examples of conduct that concern him, but the Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, has faced a barrage of scrutiny since the 2022 ruling to overturn decades of abortion rights in the landmark Roe v. Wade case.
That led to protests outside the homes of some justices, and one man was charged with attempted murder after being arrested outside the home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh armed with a handgun. There has also been renewed focus on the court from Democrats in Congress, sparked in part by media reports of alleged ethics lapses from some of the justices, with a focus on conservative Justice Clarence Thomas.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/chief-justice-john-roberts-defends-judiciary-illegitimate-attacks-rcna185884
Link to U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice REPORT (PDF) - https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/year-end/2024year-endreport.pdf
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