Ed. note: Welcome to our daily feature, Quote of the Day.
I’ve been on the bench almost 15 years, and I must say it’s the one time that actually shook my faith in the judicial system and the rule of law.
I didn’t want to be here. It took me a long time. I’ve never spoken about what’s happened to me personally, because I’m not looking for pity. I’m not looking for sympathy. I want to be able to just do my job again.
— U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr. of the District of Rhode Island, in comments given during a recent webinar hosted by Speak Up for Justice, where he spoke of receiving an angry voicemail where the caller said he hoped someone would assassinate the judge. The angry voicemail was one of more than 400 he’d received after making a ruling against the Trump administration. McConnell has since received six credible death threats. “I don’t know that the public understands how the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary is so violently under attack like I’m not sure we’ve ever seen in this country,” he said. Without specifically mentioning Trump, judges who spoke at the event encouraged U.S. leaders to stop “demonizing” the judiciary.
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.