Florida man pleads guilty to threatening to kill SCOTUS Chief Justice John Roberts

Threats against the justices have escalated significantly in recent years.

Published: December 19, 2023 3:58pm

Neal Sidhwaney of Fernandina Beach, Fla., has pleaded guilty to threatening to kill Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

Sidhwaney on Friday admitted to twice issuing the threat to Roberts in a July voicemail, prosecutors announced this week, per Politico. The report did not identify Sidhwaney's possible motivation for issuing the threat. He faces five years in prison after admitting to one count of of making an interstate threat to injure.

Court documents the outlet reviewed included a transcription of the profanity-laced voicemail. Reader discretion is advised.

He was arrested in August and a psychologist later deemed Sidwaney competent to stand trial but said he had "delusional disorder with psychosis."

Threats against the justices have escalated significantly in recent years. In the wake of the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion suggesting the justices were poised to overturn the landmark abortion precedent set in Roe v. Wade, pro-abortion activists demonstrated outside the homes of the more conservative justices.

In one instance, a 26-year-old man, Nicholas Roske broke into Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh's home while armed in what prosecutors have called an assassination attempt. He has pleaded not guilty and is still awaiting trial.

The court ultimately did overturn Roe v. Wade and permit the states to regulate abortion.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.

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