Pavlich: Merrick Garland’s dereliction of duty
Last week Attorney General Merrick Garland, prompted by a question from a reporter, pledged to protect Supreme Court justices and their families.
“This kind of behavior is obviously, we will not tolerate it,” Garland said. “Last month I met with the Marshal of the [Supreme] Court, I convened a meeting with her, as well as the deputy director of the FBI, the director of the [U.S.] Marshals Service and with our own law enforcement, our own prosecutors to ensure every degree of protection available is possible.”
But with the final Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision looming and increased violence since a draft of the opinion was leaked in May, Garland isn’t enforcing federal law.
Title 18, Section 1507 of the U.S. Code, on picketing or parading, states: “Whoever, with the intent of interfering with, obstructing, or impeding the administration of justice, or with the intent of influencing any judge, juror, witness, or court officer, in the discharge of his duty, 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, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.”
Despite the likely illegality of protesters picketing the homes of federal judges, Garland allows it to continue. In the aftermath of an alleged plot to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, raucous activists are still descending on homes.
“Protesters typically appear two evenings a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and come in the evening at around 7 p.m. — when many of the local residents are putting their children to bed, a task made difficult when loud protesters are marching up and down the street,” Fox News Digital reports.
With tolerance from the Department of Justice (DOJ), pro-abortion rights activists aren’t stopping at the justices. They’re threatening to show up outside their children’s schools and at their churches. Neighbors are being harassed as the Justice Department stands by, complicit in the behavior.
“The pro-abortion group ‘Ruth Sent Us’ suggested targeting the children of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett with protests against the court’s leaked draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization,” a National Review writer states. “The group tweeted an infographic with the name of Barrett’s church. It also identified the school Barrett’s children attend, and encouraged protesters to ‘voice your anger’ by demonstrating there.”
This is a dereliction of duty, and one Americans should expect Garland would take more seriously given his work as a federal judge.
Further, Garland is undermining the rule of law by refusing to fully investigate and prosecute several violent attacks against pro-life crisis pregnancy centers over the past five weeks.
“Attacks against crisis pregnancy centers, some of them faith-based, have risen steadily since the leak of a draft opinion in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization,” the Washington Examiner reports. “A Washington Examiner review identified recent incidents of arson, vandalism, or both at at least 13 anti-abortion centers across the country.”
The reason for Garland’s refusal to enforce the law by prosecuting illegal intimidation of justices and those allegedly attacking pro-life pregnancy centers is simple. By looking the other way, President Biden’s DOJ appears to be fine with terrorizing the court, perhaps in the hope it will push justices to change their minds on the Dobbs case.
This itself is an attack on the judiciary, but to some progressives, the ends seem to justify the means. To them it’s worth it, even if people get hurt or if institutions such as the Supreme Court are damaged in the process. The White House has not only refused to condemn this kind of behavior thoroughly and forcefully; it has encouraged activists to continue their “protesting.”
Regardless, Garland has a duty to put an end to the harassment of Supreme Court justices at their homes and attacks on pro-life crisis pregnancy centers before someone gets hurt. Certainly, he should do so before someone gets killed.
Pavlich is the editor for Townhall.com and a Fox News contributor.
Source: TEST FEED1
