Garland directs U.S. marshals to ensure safety of Supreme Court justices

Attorney General Merrick Garland has ordered the U.S. Marshals Service to ensure the safety of Supreme Court justices amid protests sparked by a leaked draft opinion that would overturn Roe vs. Wade.  

“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 said in a press release Wednesday.

The statement did not add further details about the security measures, noting that Garland “continues to be briefed on security matters related to the Supreme Court and Supreme Court Justices.”

Since the draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito was leaked, protests have taken place outside the homes of Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Chief Justice John Roberts.

If finalized, the ruling would overturn the landmark Supreme Court case that granted the right to an abortion.  

Earlier this week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) criticized the protests, saying that they could be a violation of federal law. 

“Trying to scare federal judges into ruling a certain way is far outside the bounds of First Amendment speech or protest. It is an attempt to replace the rule of law with the rule of mobs,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Senate has looked to promptly pass legislation that would provide Supreme Court justices and their families with security. 

House Democratic leaders, including Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (Md.), have also promised to move quickly on similar legislation.

“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,” Hoyer said Wednesday.