A group of retired federal and state judges is conducting a four-day tour through Ohio and Pennsylvania, making stops in cities and towns to speak about what they describe as a grave danger to the rule of law and judicial independence in the United States.
The tour, dubbed “Justice in Motion,” is timed with the nation's 250th anniversary and aims to bolster public confidence in the court system, which has seen declining trust amid increasing political polarization. The judges have been speaking at courthouses and public squares, departing from the traditional reticence of the judiciary.
Former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Michael Donnelly stated that the country is at a "precipice" and that this is a moment to "reinstall those beliefs that we are a country of laws and not of men.”
Concerns about the politicization of the judiciary have been amplified by repeated attacks on the fairness of the court system by President Donald Trump and other White House officials. Trump has publicly criticized judges who ruled against his administration's policies, labeling one as "crooked" and suggesting without evidence that Supreme Court justices were influenced by foreign interests. These criticisms have coincided with an increase in threats against federal judges.
The U.S. Marshals Service reported 564 threats against federal judges in the government fiscal year ending September 2023, an increase from 509 the previous year. While judges have not directly attributed these threats to specific officials, the broader climate of criticism has prompted some judges to speak out.
U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts previously called personal criticism of federal judges "dangerous" and stated it "has to stop," although he did not name any individuals.
"I don’t want to say we have moved into an era of lawlessness, but it sometimes feels that way,” said former U.S. District Court Judge Victoria Roberts, who is participating in the tour.
Timothy Lewis, another former federal judge on the tour, pointed to the Senate's blocking of Merrick Garland's Supreme Court nomination a decade ago as a turning point, and now views the rule of law as facing an "existential threat" due to a breakdown of norms.
The tour began in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and included stops in Washington, Pennsylvania; Columbus and Wooster, Ohio; and Cleveland before heading to Michigan. The organizers, nonpartisan advocacy groups Democracy Rising Collaborative and Keep Our Republic, chose locations to maximize public engagement.
The initiative was inspired by a similar campaign in Poland in 2021, where independent judges visited towns to promote the rule of law after the country's governing party took control of judicial institutions.
Maureen O'Connor, former chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, emphasized the importance of judges actively communicating their roles to counter "voices of misinformation." She recalled receiving a letter years ago accusing her of betraying her party for striking down Republican-drawn legislative maps as illegal gerrymanders, illustrating a misunderstanding of a judge's function.
Approximately 30 judges, including former federal judges and some still on the bench, are participating in the tour, representing both Democratic and Republican nominations. They are joined by former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett and former Ohio attorneys general.