TEXAS — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, along with 10 other Republican attorneys general, on Wednesday delivered a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland calling on him to protect U.S. Supreme Court justices amid abortion protests.
Justices living in and outside Fairfax County, Virginia, have been confronted with protests outside their homes since a draft of Justice Samuel Alito’s opinion that would overturn the Roe v. Wade abortion-rights decision was leaked.
“As a former federal judge and the current head of the Department of Justice, you must surely appreciate the unique risks to both judges and the rule of law when judges are targeted at their homes,” the letter reads. “That is why Congress has long barred ‘picket[ing] or parad[ing]’ near a judge’s home ‘with the intent of interfering with, obstructing, or impeding the administration of justice.’”
Meanwhile, Fairfax County officials have rebuffed a request from Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to establish a security perimeter around the neighborhoods of U.S. Supreme Court justices living in the county.
Youngkin, a Republican, made the request Wednesday in a letter to the county board of supervisors. “I fundamentally believe such demonstrations and picketing should not be allowed at the Justice’s (sic) homes as they are meant to intimidate and influence the Justices,” he wrote.
Three Supreme Court justices — Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett and Clarence Thomas — live in the county.
Fairfax County Police, for their part, said through a spokeswoman that they’re providing extra staffing in response to reports of planned protests “to maintain the safety and security of the public, while ensuring First Amendment rights are protected.”
Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said in a statement Wednesday that Garland continues to be briefed on security matters related to the Supreme Court and justices. He noted that Garland had directed the U.S. Marshals Service to help support the Marshal of the Supreme Court and Supreme Court Police.