(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) Several GOP senators proposed a bill that aims to deter activists from intimidating Supreme Court justices, adding jail time to a federal law prohibiting people from influencing a judge’s decision.
According to the Daily Caller, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., introduced the Protecting Our Supreme Court Justices Act, extending the prison sentence for protestors and other malicious influencers to five years, as opposed to the current one year.
The act will “send a message that the Biden administration has refused to send,” Blackburn said.
“As we saw last summer, the woke liberal mob will go to great lengths to target those they disagree with—even illegally intimidating Supreme Court Justices at their private residences,” said Senator Blackburn explained. “It’s extremely concerning that none of these protesters have been arrested for breaking the law, and the DOJ has not issued any guidance on enforcing this statute.”
After the Dobbs decision leak in the summer of 2022, conservative Supreme Court justices faced mobs of angry protestors outside of their personal homes.
U.S. Marshals were instructed not to arrest the masses “unless absolutely necessary.” However, Attorney General Merrick Garland claimed he had no knowledge of the instruction.
The protests culminated in an unsuccessful assassination attempt against Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Justice Samuel Alito said that Justice Department’s inaction sent a tacit signal of approval to far-left activists who hoped to change the outcome after an early leak of the case, which effectively ruled the nearly 50-year-old Roe v. Wade precedent as unconstitutional.
“It was rational for people to believe that they might be able to stop the decision in Dobbs by killing one of us,” Alito said.
According to Chief Justice John Roberts, judges at all levels of the court system faced greater threats to personal security and the safety of their families.
Senators joining Blackburn in introducing the legislation include Tom Cotton of Arkansas, John Cornyn of Texas, Ted Cruz of Texas, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Marco Rubio of Florida, Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, Katie Britt of Alabama, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, and John Boozman of Arkansas.
