Death threats against federal judges are becoming a disturbingly frequent occurrence. This worrying trend includes even judges at the highest level; not long ago, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts was the subject of a violent threat. This week, the instigator, a Florida resident named Neal Brij Sidhwaney, aged 43, received his sentence for the crime: a 14-month prison term.
The crime itself dates back to a voicemail Sidhwaney left for the Chief Justice at the Supreme Court, explicitly threatening his life. Following this incident, Sidhwaney pleaded guilty to transmitting an interstate threat to kill in late 2023. To further understand the case, you can reference the Reuters report.
Authorities arrested Sidhwaney a couple of weeks after leaving the threatening voicemail, and he remained in custody until his recent sentencing. The indictment did not specifically name Roberts but referred to him as “Victim 1”. However, a court-ordered psychological evaluation, docketed in September before being sealed, subsequently identified Roberts as the recipient of the threat.
The evaluation further determined that Sidhwaney had a “delusional disorder with psychosis”, exhibiting signs of a paranoid belief system. His behaviors, included sending unsettling letters, emails, and making phone calls, often manifested after engaging with news reports that significantly agitated him, according to his mother’s statement.
Justice Roberts is by no means the first Supreme Court justice to face such threats. In 2022, authorities arrested an armed individual near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home. The man was later charged with attempting to assassinate Kavanaugh, a crime he confessed to law enforcement officers. This rising tide of threats toward justices and federal judges has led the high court to request increased funding for security measures. For deeper insights, follow the complete story of the incident involving Justice Kavanaugh.
Following the thread of dangerous threats against the country’s highest authorities in law, the story of Sidhwaney’s sentencing highlights the pressing necessity for higher security measures for our justices. To see the detailed Reuters report on Sidhwaney’s sentencing, you can find it here.