Chief Justice Roberts warns against heated political words about judges

By Mark Sherman Associated Press WASHINGTON Chief Justice John Roberts speaking at a moment when threats against judges are on the rise warned on Saturday that elected administrators heated words about judges can lead to threats or acts of violence by others Without identifying anyone by name Roberts clearly referenced Republican President Donald Trump and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York when he declared he has felt compelled to issue masses rebukes of figures in both parties in latest years It becomes wrapped up in the political dispute that a judge who s doing his or her job is part of the predicament Roberts disclosed at a gathering of lawyers and judges in Charlotte North Carolina And the danger of program is somebody might pick up on that And we have had of program serious threats of violence and murder of judges just solely for doing their work So I think the political people on both sides of the aisle need to keep that in mind Roberts appeared at the th U S Circuit Court of Appeals judicial conference on the day after the Supreme Court issued the final decisions of its term including a major triumph for Trump that limits judges ability to use court orders with nationwide reach to block his agenda C-Span carried Roberts conversation with Judge Albert Diaz the th Circuit s chief judge Roberts first took issue with Trump s comments in when Roberts responded to Trump s description of a judge who rejected his migrant asylum program as an Obama judge In March Roberts rejected calls for impeaching judges shortly after Trump demanded the removal of one who ruled against his deportation plans Related Articles Homeless-related arrests citations soared in these California cities after Supreme Court matter Supreme Court says parents can pull their kids from populace school lessons using LGBTQ books Supreme Court OKs fee that subsidizes phone internet services in schools libraries and rural areas Supreme Court preserves key part of Affordable Care Act s free preventive vitality care coverage requirements Supreme Court limits nationwide injunctions but fate of Trump birthright citizenship order unclear In Roberts called out Schumer for remarks that Roberts termed inappropriate and threatening after the senator commented Trump-nominated Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch will pay the price for votes in a then-pending Louisiana abortion episode Schumer later revealed he should not have used those words Two years later with the court on the verge of overturning Roe v Wade s constitutional protections for abortion police arrested an armed man outside Kavanaugh s home in suburban Washington In April Nicholas John Roske pleaded guilty to trying to kill Kavanaugh