Attorney General Merrick Garland, once a contender to be a justice on the high court, ordered the U.S. Marshals to shore up security for Supreme Court justices.
Concerns about the justices’ safety have grown in the wake of public backlash to the leaked draft decision suggesting justices are prepared to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision.
“Attorney General Garland continues to be briefed on security matters related to the Supreme Court and Supreme Court Justices. The Attorney General directed the U.S. Marshals Service to help ensure the Justices’ safety by providing additional support to the Marshal of the Supreme Court and Supreme Court Police,” the Justice Department announced on Wednesday.
YOUNGKIN SEEKS ‘EXPANDED SECURITY PERIMETER’ FOR THREE SUPREME COURT JUSTICES
Details about the additional security measures taken are not immediately clear. The Washington Examiner reached out to the Justice Department for elaboration.
The move comes amid a bevy of protests outside several Justices’ homes demanding the court reverse course and keep abortion rights enshrined in the high court’s interpretation of the Constitution.
Protest group now approaches Justice Roberts’ house pic.twitter.com/ZmGk1n2RCu
— Matthew Miller (@mattmiller757) May 11, 2022
The draft decision is not a final ruling. It shows the court plans to overturn the precedents set in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey that guaranteed women a constitutional right to an abortion, relegating the contentious issue back to the states.
The Senate unanimously passed a bill to bolster security for the Supreme Court justices and their families earlier in the week. The bill would ensure justices receive the same protections as top-ranking government officials, but it has not yet cleared the House. Top House Democrats have signaled support for similar legislation to boost security for the justices.
“Let me say emphatically: We need to protect Supreme Court justices and their families, period. We’re a nation of laws, not of violence, not of intimidation,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said on Wednesday.
Republicans such as Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) have expressed outrage over the protesters chanting near justices’ residences, decrying the move as an attempt to intimidate the court. But some Democrats, such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), have been comparatively tepid in their comments about the protests.
“My house, there’s protests three, four times a week outside my house. That’s the American way — to peacefully protest is OK,” Schumer said. “So as long as they are peaceful, that’s OK with me.”
The Biden administration has echoed Schumer’s response, calling for the protests to remain peaceful.
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Chief Justice John Roberts has ordered the court marshal to investigate the source of the leaked decision, published on May 2. The leaked draft decision for the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case was authored by Justice Samuel Alito, and a final decision in the case is expected by July. The high court is reportedly still on track to overturn Roe and Casey despite the public uproar.
