Calls for impeachment and a misconduct warning emerged late on March 28, after a sitting federal judge criticized former President Donald Trump, who is running for president, during a cable news appearance.
U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia Reggie Walton appeared on CNN and criticized President Trump after the former president targeted another judge and that judge’s daughter.
Judge Walton said the comments were troublesome. “And it’s particularly problematic when those comments are in the form of a threat, especially if they’re directed at one’s family,” he said on CNN. “I mean, we do these jobs, because we’re committed to the rule of law and we believe in the rule of law, and the rule of law can only function effectively when we have judges who are prepared to carry out their duties without the threat of potential physical harm.”
Judge Walton later added that “it’s very important that people in positions of authority be very circumspect in reference to the things that they say, so that they’re not causing others to act on what they say and maybe cause injury or deaths somewhat as a result of that.”
Julie Kelly, an independent reporter, was among those who said Judge Walton’s appearance should trigger an impeachment.
Josh Hammer, a conservative columnist, said that the U.S. House Representatives Judiciary Committee should prepare articles of impeachment against Judge Walton.
“Is this a (bad) joke? This is a sitting federal judge. And he’s commenting on a pending criminal case? Against the leading presidential candidate? During the height of the election season? If so, this is highly prejudicial. And extremely inappropriate,” Mike Davis, founder of The Article III Project, stated on the social media platform X.
Mr. Davis said later that his group would be filing a judicial misconduct complaint against the judge.
The code of conduct for federal judges say they “should not make public comment on the merits of a matter pending or impending in any court.”
Judge Walton, 75, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, has sentenced a number of people over the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. During sentencing hearings, he has said that President Trump will not accept defeat if he loses the 2024 election.
Asked Thursday about such comments, Judge Walton said he was making them “in the context of the sentencings I impose, because I’m hoping that what I say to the individuals who I’m sentencing will resonate with them and cause them to rethink the activity that they engaged in that brought them before the court and hopefully deter them from engaging in further conduct of that nature in the future.”
President Trump earlier on Thursday posted about Justice Merchan and his daughter. He added later in the day that “Judge Juan Merchan is totally compromised, and should be removed from this TRUMP Non-Case immediately.” He also wrote that the judge’s daughter “is a Rabid Trump Hater.”
Judge Walton, meanwhile, also disclosed that he’s been threatened, as has his daughter.
“You kind of have to appreciate that you can’t let that impact on how you live your life and how you treat litigants who are before you because even though threats may be made against you and against your family, you still have an obligation to ensure that everybody who comes into your courtroom is treated fairly, regardless of who they are, what they’ve done,” he said. “But nonetheless, it is very troubling, because I think it is an attack on the rule of law, when judges are threatened and particularly when their family is threatened. And it’s something that’s wrong and should not happen.”
