Chief Justice warns of threats to judicial independence ahead of Trump inauguration

• Chief Justice John Roberts flagged threats to the judicial system in his year-end review.
• Disgruntled lawmakers and litigants pose a threat to judicial independence, Roberts wrote.
• Roberts didn't name anyone specifically when he admonished public officials for intimidating judges.

False accusations and charged rhetoric against judges pose a threat to judicial independence, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his year-end review for 2024.

The report, published on Tuesday, delved into the dangers posed by disgruntled politicians and litigants against judges and the wider judicial system.

Roberts said in his report that some judicial decisions are "egregiously wrong" and do merit pushback, but that "not all actors engage in 'informed criticism.'"

"I feel compelled to address four areas of illegitimate activity that, in my view, do threaten the independence of judges on which the rule of law depends: (1) violence, (2) intimidation, (3) disinformation, and (4) threats to defy lawfully entered judgments," Roberts wrote.

The report came not long before President-elect Donald Trump is due to be inaugurated on January 20.

Roberts did not mention Trump in the report, though it did cite instances of litigants airing their criticisms of judges.

"Today, in the computer era, intimidation can take different forms," Roberts wrote. "Disappointed litigants rage at judicial decisions on the Internet, urging readers to send a message to the judge."

"They falsely claim that the judge had it in for them because of the judge's race, gender, or ethnicity—or the political party of the President who appointed the judge," the chief justice added.

Trump has notably clashed with judges presiding over cases against him.

He was repeatedly fined for violating his gag order during his New York hush-money trial.

The former president was held in contempt of court after criticizing his presiding judge, New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan during an interview with "Real America's Voice" in April.

"But this judge, uh, said that I can't get away from the trial. You know he's rushing the trial like crazy. Nobody's ever seen a thing go like this. The jury was picked so fast — 95% Democrats," Trump said in a phone interview with the network.

Trump also clashed repeatedly with Lewis Kaplan, the judge in a defamation suit brought against him by E. Jean Carroll.

In his report, Roberts admonished public officials for attempting to intimidate judges, though he stopped short of naming them.

"Public officials certainly have a right to criticize the work of the judiciary, but they should be mindful that intemperance in their statements when it comes to judges may prompt dangerous reactions by others," Roberts wrote.

The chief justice also admonished lawmakers for trying to defy the Supreme Court's decisions.

"Elected officials from across the political spectrum have raised the specter of open disregard for federal court rulings," the chief justice wrote.

In April 2023, congressional Democrats urged the White House to ignore a federal judge's decision to block the sale of the abortion pill mifepristone. The Biden administration rejected the suggestion. The Supreme Court later upheld access to the drug in a ruling issued in June.

The Supreme Court did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.