Marshals knew of no 'specific' threat to SCOTUS justices before Dobbs decision, email shows

One day prior to the Supreme Court's landmark Dobbs v. Jackson decision that overturned the constitutional right to abortion, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) informed staffers that it knew of no specific threats to the justices, according to an internal email obtained by the Heritage Foundation's Oversight Project and published in the Daily Signal.

The June 23, 2022, email preceded the final court decision, but followed both the leak of the draft opinion, an alleged assassination attempt against Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and prolonged protests outside of the justices' private homes. The communication informed staffers that the "[The Judicial Security Division] is unaware of any specific, targeted threat to a USMS-protected facility or person; however, the likelihood of protests occurring as a response to the ruling is great."

The email notes that demonstrations had occurred "at both the U.S. Supreme Court and Justices’ residences" and that "there have been several acts of property damage, arson, vandalism, and threats/intimidation against Federal Court Houses, protected persons, as well as private businesses, houses of worship, and reproductive health care services facilities/providers."

It notably made no mention of the alleged assassination plot, nor did it mention that a pro-abortion group, Ruth Sent Us, had posted the addresses of the justices' residences following the leak of the draft opinion. It did, however, concede that anti-abortion organizations had suffered from arson and vandalism incidents linked to Jane's Revenge, though expressed uncertainty as to whether the perpetrators had used the moniker "as a slogan or are operating as a coordinated group."

Despite the protests, violent demonstrations, and alleged assassination attempt, the justice ultimately struck down the 1973 Roe v. Wade precedent, with Associate Justice Samuel Alito writing that "Roe was egregiously wrong from the start... It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives."

In January of this year, following a rigorous investigation, the Supreme Court declared that it had been unable to identify who had leaked the draft opinion that set off the demonstrations.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.