U.S. Senators Katie Britt and Colleagues Introduce Legislation to protect Supreme Court Justices

Washington D.C. – U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Marsha Blackburn, Colleagues Introduce Legislation To Secure Supreme Court Justices, Defend Rule Of Law

U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) today joined Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) as well as nine other Republican senators to introduce the Protect Our Supreme Court Justices Act which is a bill that will further shield the Supreme Court justices against harassment and threats to violence. The legislation will increase the maximum time of prison for those who attempt to influence in a way that is illegally the decisions by a judge in the federal court, from 1 year up to 5 years thereby creating a stronger deterrent against the increasing threats to the Court.

Senator Britt and Blackburn were joined by Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark. ), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo. ), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) Cindy Hyde Smith (R-Miss. ), Roger Wicker (R-Miss. ) as well as John Boozman (R-Ark.) when introducing the bill.

Rosters who try to influence decisions made by judges by intimidation, harassment or even violence in the residences of Justices and judges must be punished in full compliance permitted by the law. The legal system cannot be substituted for police state within our United States. The effectiveness and reliability of our legal system is dependent on the capacity of judges to be impartial in their interpretation of the law and decide on their legalization of their cases without fearing retribution for them as well as their family members. I’m honored to co-sponsor the Protecting Our Supreme Court Justices Act to ensure that we have a strong and effective deterrent to protect our judges, Justices and their families secure while ensuring the rule of law.” Senator Britt declared.

“As we saw in the summer of last year, the liberal woke mob will go to extreme ways to attack people they don’t agree with – even inflicting illegally intimidation on Supreme Court Justices at their private homes,” said Senator Blackburn. “It’s alarming that the protesters have not been detained for breaking the law. The DOJ hasn’t issued any guidelines on how to enforce this law. It is the Protecting Our Supreme Court Justices Act can deter the intimidation and harassment of Justices and will send an unambiguous signal that even Biden administration has refused to send. Biden administration has not been able to convey: Justices must be allowed to carry out their work without worrying about their safety or that of family members.”

“Conservative Supreme Court justices are being targeted by extreme leftists who want to repress or intimidate the justices over their decisions. This law will safeguard the entire Supreme Court justices from threats of violence, allowing them to be able to perform their job as neutral interpreters of law,” stated Senator Cotton.

BACKGROUND:

In the wake of the sensational May 2nd 2022 leak of the draft ruling of the draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization protesters started demonstrating in front of the private homes of Supreme Court Justices. Then, a map containing the addresses of five Justices who are Republican appointed–Justices Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett–was uploaded on the internet. The protests took place prior to the time that the Supreme Court issued their final decision on the matter on June 24, 2022.

Federal law prohibits the protest of at the home of judge in the hope to influence the decisions of the judge in a particular case. Specifically, 18 U.S.C. SS 1507 provides that an person who is “with the intention to influence any judge . . . during the performance of his duty, whether through pickets, or parades . . . within or close to a building or residence used by the judge” is punishable by criminal sanctions or one year of prison or both.

The U.S. Department of Justice under the direction by attorney general Merrick Garland resisted to charge, arrest or prosecute anyone who unlawfully protested outside the residences of Supreme Court Justices in 2022. In an earlier meeting in the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Britt directly confronted the Attorney General Garland regarding the apparent inability to bring allegations.

The Protecting Our Supreme Court Justices Act:

• The maximum period of detention for a violation of Section 1507 to five years.
• Stops an attack on our Supreme Court Justices, especially in a moment where the Biden DOJ does not apply the law.
• Make sure that any future administrations that are prepared to enforce the law are able to convey a clear message to those who are far left they must be able to prove that Supreme Court Justices must be permitted to perform their duties without being concerned about their safety or that of their families.