A New York Times investigation uncovered a wave of intimidation targeting state judges, cataloguing thousands of threats, assaults and three fatal shootings since 2022. Judges such as Judge Jennifer Johnson in rural Florida recount receiving relentless online harassment that pushed them to buy firearms and install security systems after local police deemed the threats “gray.” The report spans all 50 states, revealing a safety gap.

Unlike their federal counterparts, who benefit from a centralized protection program, the roughly 30,000 state judges rely on under‑resourced local sheriffs. A Department of Homeland Security alert last year warned that harassment cases had risen, and U.S. Marshals data show threats against federal judges more than doubled to 564 in 2025. State courts, however, lack a unified tracking system, leaving many incidents undocumented.

Judges across Texas, New York and New Jersey reported sharp increases in security incidents, with Texas court‑related events soaring from 447 in 2023 to over 2,100 by 2025. Survey responses indicate that one‑third of state judges now carry firearms for personal protection. The mounting pressure threatens judicial independence and could drive courts to allocate private funds for security, reshaping budgeting priorities.