Overview
- An email from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s office on Thursday directed each U.S. attorney to submit two to three recent instances of “unusual judicial system obstacles” by midday Friday.
- The request targets cases where judges complicated search warrants, complaint filings, jury instructions, or pretrial detention, with emphasis on immigration enforcement, assaults on federal agents, and investigations into groups labeled as antifa.
- A Justice Department spokesperson defended the effort by condemning “judicial activists — liberals in robes” and said the department intends to bolster its litigation posture.
- Former judges and bar organizations rebuked Blanche’s “war” comments as dangerous to judicial independence, noting data that threats to federal judges have increased this year according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
- The department has not said how it will use the examples, as clashes with the courts persist, including earlier disputes tied to Judge James Boasberg and reported DOJ misconduct complaints against two D.C. judges.