Federal judges are building safe rooms, changing their commutes, and installing panic buttons in their homes. You might think this sounds like a plot from a spy thriller, but it's the stark, uncomfortable reality emerging from recent studies by legal scholars at New York University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the Brennan Center for Justice.
The American judicial system is cracking under an unprecedented wave of hostility. If judges are worried about surviving their daily routines, who is actually protecting the rule of law?
The Escalating Crisis Behind Closed Doors
Security incidents of significant concern surged by 57% in the year ending in September 2025, according to data from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. That upward trend hasn't slowed down.
When researchers spoke with dozens of sitting and retired federal judges, the testimonies painted a grim picture. One anonymous federal judge recounted receiving over 700 threatening phone calls after handling a high-profile immigration case. Things escalated quickly. Attackers leaked home floor plans online, forcing that judge and their family to build a safe room and rehearse home-intrusion drills.
Another anonymous judge admitted to agonizing for nearly an hour over whether to issue an alternative ruling just to protect family members from looming public vitriol. Think about that for a second. A judge appointed to uphold the Constitution spent sixty minutes questioning a ruling out of sheer terror for personal safety.
Swatting, Doxxing, and the Ghost of Tragedies Past
Harassment goes far beyond angry emails. Tactics have evolved into malicious physical disruptions.
Judges across the country report being targeted by "pizza doxxing"—receiving unsolicited food deliveries sent to their homes as a chilling reminder that stalkers know where they sleep. Some packages arrive bearing the name of Daniel Anderl, the 20-year-old son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas. Daniel was murdered in 2020 by a disgruntled litigant who posed as a delivery person at Salas's New Jersey home, an attack that also left her husband wounded.
U.S. District Judge Esther Salas herself noted that ongoing political attacks have left her more worried about judicial safety today than she was right after her son's murder. The normalization of aggressive political rhetoric has created an open season on the bench.
Other high-profile incidents include false emergency calls or swatting attempts directed at prominent jurists, including Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, whose home was targeted last year by an anonymous caller reporting false gunfire.
The Broader Threat to Judicial Independence
Why does this matter to you? Because a terrified judge cannot remain impartial.
When litigants realize they can intimidate a court through online mobs, leaked addresses, and continuous harassment, the entire foundation of an independent judiciary begins to erode. The Brennan Center report highlights that the surge in threats often correlates with contentious high-stakes litigation, including lawsuits challenging government policies and prosecutions tied to the January 6 Capitol attack.
Scholars warn that long-term safety deficits will drive capable legal minds away from public service. Who would want to sit on the federal bench if it means turning your home into an armed fortress?
Protecting the courts requires more than temporary fixes. Experts recommend major investments in judicial security funding, stricter federal prosecution of individuals making explicit threats, and better scrubbing of personal data for judges online.
The system cannot function if the people wearing the robes have to look over their shoulders every time they walk out their front door.
When federal judges fear for their families, the entire justice system is under attack
This video provides additional context and expert analysis on the growing security crisis facing federal and state judges nationwide.
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