United States Attorney General Merrick Garland is hoping to wind down the U.S. Marshals Service security details for U.S. Supreme Court justices and leave the task to the Supreme Court Police.
Under Garland, the Department of Justice assigned the U.S. Marshals to provide added protection to the Supreme Court justices. In a Tuesday Senate hearing, however, Garland indicated that he does not intend for those added U.S. Marshal details to be assigned to the justices indefinitely.
The attorney general said the U.S. Marshals have other security and fugitive apprehension responsibilities beyond guarding the homes and families of Supreme Court judges.
Marshals Allegedly Dissuaded From Making Arrests
Section 1507 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code states that obstruction of justice can include “pickets or parades in or near a building housing a court of the United States, or in or near a building or residence occupied or used by such judge, juror, witness, or court officer, or with such intent uses any sound-truck or similar device or resorts to any other demonstration in or near any such building or residence.”Protests have continued outside the homes of the Supreme Court justices in the months since their abortion ruling. In that time, Republican lawmakers and conservative organizations have asked the DOJ why no arrests have been made to enforce the federal law against protests outside the homes of the Supreme Court Justices.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) shared alleged training slides U.S. Marshals were shown that discouraged them from arresting people.
Contrary to Garland’s statements that “the Marshals on the scene” make the arrest determinations, Britt argued that the alleged slides showed the Marshals on the ground were “actively discouraged” from making any arrests by higher authorities.
Garland testified that he was just seeing the slides for the first time after Britt brought them up during Tuesday’s hearing. The Attorney General also declined a call to amend his prior statements to the Senate.