Federal judges detail rise in threats, ‘pizza doxings,’ as Trump ramps up criticism

By NICHOLAS RICCARDI Associated Press In a disgruntled litigant posing as a deliveryman opened fire at the New Jersey home of District Judge Esther Salas killing her -year-old son Daniel Anderl Five years later as President Donald Trump approaches up his criticism of federal judges who have blocked chosen of his agenda dozens of judges have had unsolicited pizzas delivered to their homes often in Daniel Anderl s name District Judge John J McConnell Jr of Rhode Island who stalled Trump s initial round of across-the-board spending cuts is among those who received pizzas in Anderl s name His courtroom also has been flooded by threatening calls including one profanity-laced one that called for his assassination McConnell Jr played a recording of the call during an distinctive discussion Thursday where multiple federal judges discussed threats they have received a notable conversation because judges usually only speak publicly from the bench and through their rulings and rarely if ever about personal threats and attacks Salas and others declared the number of attacks has escalated in up-to-date months Without using his name Salas called on Trump and his allies to tone down the rhetoric and stop demonizing the judiciary for fear of what more could happen We re used to being appealed But keep it on the merits stop demonizing us Salas noted They re inviting people to do us harm This image provided by Esther Salas shows U S District Judge Esther Salas in her courtroom in Newark N J March Esther Salas via AP Thursday s event was sponsored by Speak up for Justice a nonpartisan group supporting an independent judiciary District Judge John C Coughenour of Washington recalled having a police SWAT group called to his home to respond to a false analysis of an attack after Coughenour in January halted Trump s executive order ending birthright citizenship for children of people in the country illegally District Judge Robert S Lasnik of Washington also had pizzas delivered in Anderl s name to both his home and those of his two adult children each in different cities after an article in which he was quoted as being critical of attacks on judges was picked up by a television station in the Pacific Northwest where he hears cases The message to me was we know where you live we know where your kids live and they could end up dead like Daniel Anderl did Lasnik stated in an interview Salas says U S Marshals have narrated her of more than cases of so-called pizza doxings unwanted deliveries to the homes of federal judges and their families since with bulk occurring this year Salas added that she s heard of additional cases targeting state judges in states ranging from Colorado to Florida incidents that wouldn t be tracked by Marshals who protect federal judges This is not specific random silly act this is a targeted concentrated coordinated attack on judges Salas declared in an interview and yet we don t hear any condemnation from Washington Salas nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama in was critical of protests at the homes of Republican-nominated Supreme Court justices who revoked women s right to have an abortion which were followed by the arrest of a man at the home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh who stated he was there to assassinate the justice Salas revealed both sides of the political aisle have used worrying rhetoric about judges but it s reached a new peak since Trump took office I ve often referred to it as a bonfire that I believe the current administration is throwing accelerants on Salas revealed Related Articles Trump s immigration crackdowns raise eviction risks across California Kamala Harris to release book about presidential campaign It s a miracle A California father reunites with his family after weeks in ICE detention California House Democrats sue over access to ICE detention centers Opinion Kicking kids off Head Start to punish parents is cruel short-sighted Trump himself has led the charge against judges often going after them by name on social media He s commented judges who ve ruled against his administration are sick very dangerous and lunatic Trump s allies have amplified his rhetoric and called for impeaching judges who rule against the president or completely disobeying their rulings Earlier this year several judges at the panel noted Rep Andy Ogles of Tennessee had a wished poster of judges who d crossed the president hanging outside his congressional office Lasnik noted countless judges appointed by presidents of both parties have communicated him of concerns but are nervous about discussing the issue openly A lot of them don t know how to speak up and are afraid of transiting a line somewhere where they would get a judicial complaint like judge Boasberg did Lasnik revealed referring to District Judge James E Boasberg of D C who infuriated the Trump administration by finding they likely committed criminal contempt by disobeying his order to turn around a deportation flight to El Salvador Though Chief Justice John Roberts has come to Boasberg s defense Trump s Department of Justice this week filed a complaint against Boasberg over comments he made at a judicial conference that other judges worry the Trump administration won t obey their orders Last month Trump s Justice Department took the extraordinary step of suing every federal judge in Maryland over rules governing how they handle immigration cases More than five dozen judges who ve ruled against Trump are receiving enhanced online protection including scrubbing their identifying information from websites according to two Trump-appointed judges who wrote Congress urging more funding for judicial precaution In Congress passed a law named after Daniel Anderl allowing judges to sue internet sites to take down identifying information