Man Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Threatening to Kill Supreme Court Justice

A Florida man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for making threats to kill a U.S. Supreme Court justice, according to an announcement from the Justice Department. Neal Brij Sidhwaney, 43, pleaded guilty in December after leaving an expletive-filled voice message during a telephone call to the Supreme Court last July.

The indictment revealed that Sidhwaney made the threatening remarks twice in his message, but it did not specify the name of the targeted justice. However, during a psychological evaluation that was later sealed in court records, Sidhwaney identified Chief Justice John Roberts as his intended victim, as reported by Politico.

Sidhwaney's guilty plea was related to his transmission of an interstate threat to kill a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. These incidents of threats against federal judges, including Supreme Court justices, have been on the rise since 2019, as previously reported by CBS News.

According to statistics compiled by the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and obtained by CBS News, federal investigators responded to over 400 threats to federal judges nationwide in 2023. This marked an increase of nearly 300 threats compared to 2019.

In a similar incident in 2022, Nicholas John Roske was accused of attempting to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Roske was arrested near Kavanaugh's residence shortly after a draft opinion on the Roe v. Wade case was leaked. He has pleaded not guilty.

Following the incident involving Roske, Congress passed a law to ensure 24-hour security for the families of Supreme Court justices. The justices themselves were already provided with 24-hour protection by the U.S. Marshals soon after the leaked opinion became known.

Threats against crucial figures in the judicial system pose significant concerns for the safety and security of the nation's highest court. The recent sentencing of Sidhwaney serves as a reminder that such threats will be taken seriously, and individuals who make them will face legal consequences.