In a striking rebuke of the Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas has voiced significant concerns over what she perceives as inadequate responses to ongoing threats against the judiciary. Speaking to Law.com, Judge Salas highlighted a disturbing trend of verbal attacks and physical threats aimed at judges, which she feels are not being sufficiently addressed by DOJ leaders.

Judge Salas expressed her appreciation for the efforts of the United States Marshal Service in taking threats seriously but pointed out a stark contrast in the actions of the DOJ. "I have yet to see any leader in that office denounce these types of intimidations," she said. Instead, Salas noted, DOJ leaders have used inflammatory language, referring to judges as ‘deranged,’ ‘lunatics,’ and ‘leftist lunatics,’ and even declaring a war on ‘rogue’ judges in public forums.

This criticism comes against the backdrop of an increasingly hostile environment for judicial officers, highlighted by a tragic personal experience for Judge Salas. In 2020, her son was fatally shot and her husband wounded at their home by a disgruntled lawyer who had openly attacked Salas's credibility and ethics online.

The alarming rate at which threats against judicial figures have escalated was further underscored by Salas's comments on a recent incident involving the doxxing of federal judges, where personal details were maliciously delivered to their homes disguised as pizza deliveries. The incident, which is reportedly under investigation, symbolizes a broader issue of safety and respect for the judiciary.

Judge Salas urged DOJ officials to publicly affirm their commitment to the security and dignity of judicial officers. "They obviously could alleviate a lot of concern if they came forward and talked about this investigation in a very general way, and showed that it matters to them. That the lives and safety of judicial officers and their families and personnel matter to them," she stated.

Her call to action aims not only to protect her colleagues and their families but also to preserve the sanctity and impartiality of the judicial system. As tensions remain high, the legal community and public alike are watching closely to see how the DOJ will respond to these pressing concerns raised by one of their own. The silence, as Judge Salas remarked, is indeed deafening.