Federal judges speaking out after unprecedented wave of threats, intimidation and attacks

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Historically, the only time you would hear an opinion from a judge was from the bench. That just changed, thanks to new guidelines from the U.S. Judicial Conference that impacts the entire federal court system.

Judges are now speaking out when attacked, to combat misinformation, and to preserve the integrity of the judicial system. So far this year, the U.S. Marshals Service has already recorded 241 threats against judges in 2026, after 564 threats in 2025.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Facing an unparalleled level of personal threats, and attacks on the judicial branch itself, federal judges are now taking the extraordinary step of speaking out and sharing their stories.

"I've been a judge for 32 years. I have never seen the unprecedented attacks that have been made on on judges, and it's... it's chilling," U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom said.

Judge Bloom, from Florida's Southern District, will moderate a panel Thursday titled the "Bench Breaks Its Silence," featuring four federal judges from across the country who will detail the personal threats leveled against them in a landmark forum that up until just a few weeks ago wouldn't have been possible.

"When there are threats made, or misinformation, or judges are called corrupt. Now, it gives us an opportunity to speak out and to defend other judges that are under attack," Judge Bloom told the I-Team.

She says thanks to a new advisory opinion from the U.S. Judicial Conference, issued last month, federal judges are encouraged to break their silence. "Silence can be acquiescence," said Bloom. "We don't rely on force. We rely on respect. And if there isn't respect for the rule of law, respect for the work we do, then there's a question as to the illegitimacy of our courts, and that impacts our rule of law."

RELATED | Federal judges overseeing high-profile court cases in Chicago area, US facing uptick in threats

The I-Team sat down exclusively late last year with Chief Judge Virginia Kendall of the Northern District of Illinois to discuss the extraordinary threats facing members of the bench.

"We can't be concerned about the judiciary safety when they're doing this hard work," said Judge Kendall.

Sources tell the I-Team judges in the Northern District have been issued panic buttons for personal protection, Judge Bloom says that's far from common practice.

"We're protected when we come to the courthouse. We're protected when we make public appearances through the U.S. Marshals Service. But when we go home...we don't have protection. So, oftentimes we're sitting ducks," said Bloom.

"When I first became a judge, it was an anomaly to have any judge have a significant threat. This seems to be like every day someone is contacting me," Judge Kendall told the I-Team.

In a rare public statement Tuesday, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice, John Roberts, said, "Personally directed hostility is dangerous, and it's got to stop."