Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said Thursday that heightened threats against members of the judiciary have made it increasingly difficult for him to attend public events, describing the security environment as “very dicey” as concerns over judicial safety continue to mount. Speaking at a judicial conference in Florida, Thomas said the level of security surrounding Supreme Court justices has changed dramatically since he joined the bench in 1991, limiting the freedom that the justices once had to appear publicly and engage with communities. Thomas said attending events had become more difficult because of escalating safety concerns.
“The security concerns now are much different from the way they were when I first became a circuit justice,” Thomas said. “That’s really one of the big changes since I’ve been on the court — that it’s become very, very dicey.”
The comments come as the Supreme Court has increasingly sought additional resources to bolster security for justices and federal judges amid a rise in threats.
Concerns about judicial safety have intensified in recent years following politically charged rulings and growing public hostility toward members of the federal judiciary.
