Judges tour the Midwest to offer unusual warning about attacks on courts
In a July 10 report, The Washington Post described a bus tour of retired federal and state judges, dubbed “Justice in Motion,” traveling from suburban Pittsburgh through Ohio to outside Detroit to warn the public that judicial independence and the rule of law are in grave danger as the nation marks its 250th anniversary. The judges cited physical threats against sitting jurists and a rising tide of criticism from elected officials, including executive-branch rhetoric portraying the judiciary as a tool of a “deep state” or partisan opposition. Explicitly inspired by a 2021 Polish campaign against that country’s judicial takeover, the organizers warned of the danger of a “loyalty-based” judiciary whose rulings are expected to align with the presidency rather than the law. The tour reflects growing alarm among legal professionals about coordinated pressure on U.S. courts.