Retired Judges Tour Midwest Towns to Promote Judicial Independence

A group of retired judges finished a four-day bus tour through western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan on Friday. They spoke at courthouses, libraries, and public squares about the importance of judicial independence and public confidence in courts.

The tour began Tuesday in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and continued through Washington, Pennsylvania, Columbus and Wooster, Ohio, Cleveland, and Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Judges met residents at coffee shops and restaurants and delivered remarks at county courthouses and libraries.

Some judges on the tour said in phone interviews that the United States is at a critical moment for the rule of law. They pointed to recent increases in threats against federal judges and public criticism of court decisions. The U.S. Marshals Service reported 564 threats against federal judges in the fiscal year ending in September, compared with 509 the previous year.

Judges said they have received death threats and profane messages, though they did not name specific officials as the source.

The tour was organized by the Democracy Rising Collaborative and Keep Our Republic. Organizers said they modeled the effort on a 2021 campaign by Polish judges who traveled to towns to discuss the rule of law after changes to judicial institutions. Roughly 30 judges participated, including two former federal judges and two current federal judges.

State judges from both parties also joined, along with former state attorneys general and lawyers. One former judge said the judiciary depends on public confidence and that losing it is difficult to regain. Another said concerns about politicization of the courts began a decade ago and have grown into what the judge described as an existential threat to the rule of law.