Jamie Raskin Just Told John Roberts: "The Emperor Has No Clothes"

"Those threatening judges, with menacing voicemails, physical violence, doxxing, or by calling for them to be impeached for ruling a particular way, all share an illegitimate ambition: they seek to change the outcome of cases through fear and coercion. But the rising tide of threats against federal judges reflects a basic and spreading misunderstanding of what judges and Justices do."

"You are not legislators who are expressing your policy preferences or the policy preferences of your constituents. Nor are you Executive branch officials who are implementing a public policy decision.... We must combat the misconception that judges are political actors as opposed to elucidators of the meaning of the law."

The Judicial Conference of the United States held a semiannual meeting overseen by Chief Justice John Roberts, where 26 judges discuss judicial policy. Representative Jamie Raskin, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, publicly addressed the conference about escalating threats to judicial safety. While acknowledging these threats and pledging support for judiciary protection, Raskin identified the root cause: widespread misconception that judges function as political actors rather than legal interpreters. He emphasized that those threatening judges through violence, doxxing, or impeachment calls seek to manipulate case outcomes through coercion. Raskin argued the judiciary must actively combat this misunderstanding by clarifying their constitutional role as law interpreters, not policy implementers or legislators.

Read at The Nation