Chicago-Area Federal Judges and Nationwide Colleagues Respond to Surge in Threats and Intimidation

In a significant shift from tradition, judges in the United States are now stepping off the bench to voice their opinions publicly, a move prompted by new guidelines from the U.S. Judicial Conference. These changes, affecting the entire federal court system, mark a departure from the longstanding norm where judges refrained from public commentary.

The decision comes in response to an alarming increase in threats and misinformation directed at the judiciary. As of this year, the U.S. Marshals Service has documented 241 threats against judges, following a concerning 564 threats in 2025. This surge has prompted federal judges to take unprecedented action to safeguard the integrity of the judicial system by speaking out about their experiences.

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Faced with a barrage of personal threats and broader attacks on the judicial branch, judges are now sharing their stories in a bid to inform and protect the institution they serve. “I’ve been a judge for 32 years. I have never seen the unprecedented attacks that have been made on judges, and it’s… it’s chilling,” said U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom, reflecting on the current climate.

Judge Bloom, who serves in Florida’s Southern District, will lead a panel discussion titled “Bench Breaks Its Silence.” This landmark forum will feature four federal judges from various parts of the country, who will openly discuss the personal threats they have encountered. Such a public dialogue represents a new chapter for the judiciary, one that only recently became possible under the revised guidelines.

Judge Bloom, from Florida’s Southern District, will moderate a panel Thursday titled the “Bench Breaks Its Silence,” featuring four federal judges from across the country who will detail the personal threats leveled against them in a landmark forum that up until just a few weeks ago wouldn’t have been possible.

“When there are threats made, or misinformation, or judges are are called corrupt. Now, it gives us an opportunity to speak out and to defend other judges that are under attack,” Judge Bloom told the I-Team.

She says thanks to a new advisory opinion from the U.S. Judicial Conference, issued last month, federal judges are encouraged to break their silence. “Silence can be acquiescence,” said Bloom. “We don’t rely on force. We rely on respect. And if there isn’t respect for the rule of law, respect for the work we do, then there’s a question as to the illegitimacy of our courts, and that impacts our rule of law.”

The I-Team sat down exclusively late last year with Chief Judge Virginia Kendall of the Northern District of Illinois to discuss the extraordinary threats facing members of the bench.

“We can’t be concerned about the judiciary safety when they’re doing this hard work,” said Judge Kendall.

Sources tell the I-Team judges in the Northern District have been issued panic buttons for personal protection, Judge Bloom says that’s far from common practice.

“We’re protected when we come to the courthouse. We’re protected when we make public appearances through the U.S. Marshals Service. But when we go home…we don’t have protection. So, oftentimes we’re sitting ducks,” said Bloom.

“When I first became a judge, it was an anomaly to have any judge have a significant threat. This seems to be like every day someone is contacting me,” Judge Kendall told the I-Team.

In a rare public statement Tuesday, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice, John Roberts, said, “Personally directed hostility is dangerous, and it’s got to stop.”