{"id":2399173,"date":"2025-02-05T10:59:59","date_gmt":"2025-02-05T15:59:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-senators-push-bill-to-toughen-supreme-court-intimidation-penalties-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-02-05T11:01:47","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T16:01:47","slug":"gop-senators-push-bill-to-toughen-supreme-court-intimidation-penalties-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-senators-push-bill-to-toughen-supreme-court-intimidation-penalties-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP senators push bill to toughen Supreme Court intimidation penalties &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgop-senators-push-bill-to-toughen-supreme-court-intimidation-penalties-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2399173&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A group of\u2063 Republican senators has put forward a new bill aimed at increasing the penalties\u2063 for \u2062individuals convicted of \u2063attempting \u2064to\u2064 intimidate or influence\u200d Supreme Court justices adn lower federal judges. The legislation, dubbed the Protecting \u2063Our Supreme Court Justices Act, \u2062seeks to\u200d raise the maximum prison sentence for obstructing justice near judges&#8217; residences or courthouses from one year to\u2062 five years. This move\u200d comes in response to protests \u2063outside the\u200d homes of several \u2062conservative\u200d justices following the leak\u200d of the draft opinion that ultimately led to the\u200d overturning of Roe v. \u200bWade in\u200c 2022. Senators including\u2063 Marsha Blackburn,\u200b Ted Cruz, and Mike lee introduced \u200cthe \u2064bill, \u200cemphasizing the need for justices to perform their duties without fear\u200b of \u2062intimidation or harm. The proposed law would \u200camend \u2062Section 1507 \u200dof \u200cTitle 18 of the U.S. Code,\u200b reflecting growing concerns over \u2063judicial \u200dsecurity \u2064and the protection of judicial officials amid rising threats. The\u2062 introduction of\u200b this bill coincides with \u2062ongoing legal\u2064 proceedings related to threats against justices, highlighting the broader implications of intimidation tactics in influencing judicial decisions.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">GOP senators push bill to toughen Supreme Court intimidation penalties<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1978162\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>EXCLUSIVE &mdash;<\/strong> A group of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republicans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Republican<\/a> senators backed a new bill Wednesday to increase the maximum sentence for individuals convicted on charges of attempting to intimidate or influence Supreme Court justices and lower federal court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/judges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">judges<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The bill is a response to the protests outside of several conservative justices&rsquo; homes following the 2022 leak of the opinion signaling the overturning of <em>Roe v. Wade<\/em> during the Biden administration. <\/p>\n<p>The bill, introduced by Sens. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/marsha-blackburn\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Marsha Blackburn<\/a> (TN), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ted-cruz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Ted Cruz<\/a> (TX), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mike-lee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Mike Lee<\/a> (R-UT),&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/cindy-hyde-smith\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Cindy Hyde-Smith<\/a> (UT), and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tom-cotton\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Tom Cotton<\/a> (AR), would amend federal law to raise the maximum prison term for obstructing justice by protesting or parading near a judge&rsquo;s residence or courthouse from one year to five years.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/finance-and-economy\/3242203\/what-items-affected-trump-tariffs-canada-mexico\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PRICES ON THESE ITEMS COULD BE AFFECTED BY TRUMP TARIFFS ON MEXICO, CANADA<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., speaks at the Senate Finance Committee at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo\/Ben Curtis)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;Supreme Court Justices must be able to do their jobs without fear of intimidation, harm, or violence against them or their families,&rdquo;&nbsp;Blackburn said in a statement introducing the measures, the Protecting Our Supreme Court Justices Act. It will &ldquo;deter intimidation of our Justices and send a clear message that anyone who attempts to harm them will be punished to the fullest extent of the law,&rdquo; she said.<\/p>\n<p>The bill would amend&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/18\/1507#:~:text=Whoever%2C%20with%20the%20intent%20of,or%20near%20a%20building%20or\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Section 1507 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code\">Section 1507 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code<\/a>, which addresses obstructing justice by&nbsp;picketing or parading&nbsp;near court buildings or the homes of judges, jurors, witnesses, or other court officers. If passed and signed into law by President Donald Trump, it would mean anyone convicted of a count of attempting to intimidate or influence a judge, or other court officials, at a private residence or courthouse could face up to five years in prison instead of just one year.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It is essential that the judicial branch be able to perform its duties free from threats, fear, intimidation, or coercion,&rdquo; Hyde-Smith said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Following the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/scotus-leak-likely-to-spur-democrats-to-push-for-bill-to-codify-roe-v-wade\/\" title=\"SCOTUS Leak Likely to Spur Democrats to Push for ... to Codify Roe v. Wade\">leaked draft opinion<\/a> of <em>Dobbs v. Jackson Women&rsquo;s Health Organization<\/em>&nbsp;in May 2022, protests erupted outside the homes of several Supreme Court justices, with demonstrators attempting to pressure them over the impending decision that overturned&nbsp;<em>Roe v. Wade<\/em>. Some justices, including Justice <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/brett-kavanaugh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Brett Kavanaugh<\/a>, faced direct threats of assassination for signing on to the majority decision, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/police-beef-up-security-at-jewish-synagogues-across-u-s-after-hamas-attacks-israel\/\" title=\"Increased security at U.S. synagogues following Hamas attacks on Israel.\">prompting increased security measures<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The legislation would amend one of several charges levied against Nicholas Roske, the California man who told authorities he planned to assassinate Kavanaugh in June 2022, when he was 26 years old. Federal prosecutors alleged Roske, now 28, had researched Kavanaugh&rsquo;s address, flew across the country, and arrived near his home at 1 a.m. armed with burglary tools, zip ties, and an unloaded Glock handgun. Prosecutors argue that he had taken substantial steps toward committing the crime before changing his mind and calling 911. A trial for Roske is scheduled to begin in June 2025 in federal court.<\/p>\n<p>The bill&rsquo;s introduction comes just a day after interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ed Martin <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/julie_kelly2\/status\/1886112053359767977\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">sent a letter<\/a> to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) inquiring about a controversial 2020 remark in which Schumer warned that conservative court members like Kavanaugh and Justice Neil Gorsuch would &ldquo;pay the price&rdquo; for ruling against abortion rights. The comment, which Schumer later walked back, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">resurfaced amid renewed scrutiny<\/a> over judicial security concerns during the Biden administration following the 2022 leaked draft opinion signaling the overturning of <em>Roe v. Wade<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, Lee said the legislation aims to address &ldquo;a disturbing number of threats seeking to change the outcomes of cases for political ends.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>Judicial threats have become an increasing concern in recent years. In&nbsp;2020, U.S. District Judge Esther Salas&rsquo;s son was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2627845\/suspect-in-shooting-of-federal-judges-family-found-dead-with-apparent-self-inflicted-wound\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">fatally shot<\/a>, and her husband seriously wounded&nbsp;at their New Jersey home by a gunman posing as a delivery driver. The attacker, later identified as a disgruntled lawyer, had targeted Salas in a planned assault, highlighting the risks faced by a federal judge.<\/p>\n<p>Roske&rsquo;s criminal case remains at the center of controversy over the judicial security debate. <\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/dc-md-va\/2025\/01\/03\/nicholas-roske-brett-kavanaugh-assassination\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">newly revealed details<\/a> in his case, Roske had planned his attack for a month, telling investigators he believed killing Kavanaugh could &ldquo;make the world a better place,&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-reportedly-came-close-to-arresting-brad-pitt-and-jane-doe-sued-the-bureau-to-find-out-why-they-didnt\/\" title=\"FBI Reportedly Came Close To Arresting Brad Pitt \u2014 And \u2018Jane Doe\u2019 Sued The Bureau To Find Out Why They Didn\u2019t\">court filings revealed<\/a> last month.<\/p>\n<p>The defendant&rsquo;s counsel argues that his statements should be thrown out, as officers allegedly failed to advise him of his rights before questioning him. Prosecutors counter that Roske had already confessed voluntarily and took multiple steps toward carrying out the attack before ultimately surrendering.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>CLICK HERE&nbsp;TO&nbsp;READ MORE&nbsp;FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Roske is also&nbsp;charged with attempted murder of a Supreme Court justice. This statute criminalizes threats, assaults, or attempts to kill federal officials, including Supreme Court justices, in retaliation for their official duties.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, he faces charges related to transporting a firearm across state lines with intent to commit a felony and attempting to intimidate a Supreme Court justice. If convicted, Roske could face life in prison.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-scribd wp-block-embed-scribd wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Bill to enhance sentences for threats made against judges\" class=\"scribd_iframe_embed\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/embeds\/824312526\/content\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.7729220222793488\" scrolling=\"no\" id=\"824312526\" width=\"696\" height=\"1000\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\">          (function() { var scribd=document.createElement(\"script\"); scribd.type=\"text\/javascript\"; scribd.async=true; scribd.src=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/javascripts\/embed_code\/inject.js\"; var s=document.getElementsByTagName(\"script\")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })()        <\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1978162\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1978162\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>GOP senators propose bill to increase penalties for intimidating Supreme Court justices<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2399174,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SUPREME-COURT-JUSTICES.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[6203,13306,4762,3709,32275],"class_list":["post-2399173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-gop","tag-intimidation","tag-legislation","tag-senators","tag-supreme-court"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SUPREME-COURT-JUSTICES.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2399173","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2399173"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2399173\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2399177,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2399173\/revisions\/2399177"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2399174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2399173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2399173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2399173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}