One day after telling Fox News anchor Dana Perino that seeing Supreme Court justices and their families being harassed by mobs of left-wing protesters at their homes makes her “want to cry,” federal judge Esther Salas appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America Wednesday to reiterate that point and demand Congress pass legislation to protect the judiciary. The appearances by Judge Salas come nearly two years after her son was murdered and her husband seriously wounded in an attack on their home.
“Fight for protection. Judge Esther Salas’s crusade to make sure the tragedy that struck her family does not happen again. How the battle has reached Washington,” co-host Robin Roberts announced at the top of the 8:00 a.m. ET hour. Minutes later, the anchor introduced the segment: “We’re gonna turn now to Judge Esther Salas and her fight to protect the privacy of judges and their families. It was almost two years ago when a man shot and killed her beloved son Daniel at their home. The shooter went there intending to kill Judge Salas.”
During a brief taped report before talking to Judge Salas live, Roberts noted: “Now as protests erupt outside Supreme Court justices’ homes in response to the Roe vs. Wade leaked draft, Judge Salas urging support for a new bill that aims to protect the Judges’ families.”
Roberts referenced how Salas “first advocated for Daniel’s Law, named after your son, of course, which has passed in New Jersey, in your state, but it still means federal judges everywhere else, and their families, are not protected.” She then noted: “The House will vote today, as you know, on a similar bill, but it will only protect Supreme Court justices.”
“The law that’s presently before the House will cover the Supreme Court justices only that it will allow the marshals to protect their immediate family. It does not address the personally identifiable information,” the judge warned. She then explained: “The information that got leaked and now, you know, everyone is going to residences and protesting....Our personally identifiable information is still out there. And we need to button that up. We need to seal that.”
Pleading for the passage of Daniel’s Law, Salas proclaimed:
We all are on the front line here. Justices, but the lower federal courts stand at the front line to protect democracy in this country. And we need to make sure that federal judges are protected everywhere. The rule of law mandates that. This country and what we are all about in this country mandates that we protect the judiciary.
She reiterated: “The irony, Robin, the irony is that if this law would have passed, the Justices’ addresses would have been sealed a long time ago.”
Salas pressed Congress to take action to ensure the safety of federal judges and their families, citing her own family’s tragic loss:
To my knowledge there is nothing controversial about protecting judges’ home addresses and our Social Security numbers. And yet, it’s not passing and I think the American public needs to start asking, why are our leaders not passing this law?...What are we waiting for? Another tragedy to happen?
I mean, what Mark and I are living, we wish on no one. We wish on no one. It is very hard. I think of Daniel the moment I open my eyes in the morning and I think about him every single moment of my life. And you know what? We need to know that we can do our jobs without fear of retribution, retaliation or death. That is all that judges are asking for.
Sadly, the leftist media, including broadcast networks like ABC, have not acknowledged those high stakes when reporting on radical pro-abortion activists showing up outside the private homes of Supreme Court justices to threaten and intimidate. At least Good Morning America provided a platform to Judge Salas to warn of the dire consequences of allowing such harassment.
Here is a transcript of the May 11 segment:
8:00 AM ET
ROBIN ROBERTS: Fight for protection. Judge Esther Salas’s crusade to make sure the tragedy that struck her family does not happen again. How the battle has reached Washington. Judge Salas joins us live, only on GMA.
(...)
8:13 AM ET
ROBERTS: We’re gonna turn now to Judge Esther Salas and her fight to protect the privacy of judges and their families. It was almost two years ago when a man shot and killed her beloved son Daniel at their home. The shooter went there intending to kill Judge Salas.
(...)
8:14 AM ET
ROBERTS: Judge Salas tirelessly advocating the passing of Daniel’s Law in the state of New Jersey, which we discussed last year.
JUDGE ESTHER SALAS: What we’re asking is that we protect our personal information, our home addresses, our Social Security numbers. This is what the shooter did in my case and he used that information to target us.
ROBERTS: Now as protests erupt outside Supreme Court justices’ homes in response to the Roe vs. Wade leaked draft, Judge Salas urging support for a new bill that aims to protect the Judges’ families.
And Judge Salas is gonna join us live this morning. It’s always, always a privilege to be in your presence, Judge Salas. And you first advocated for Daniel’s Law, named after your son, of course, which has passed in New Jersey, in your state, but it still means federal judges everywhere else, and their families, are not protected. The House will vote today, as you know, on a similar bill, but it will only protect Supreme Court justices. Tell us why you think it needs to go further.
SALAS: Good morning, Robin and thank you for having me this morning. The law that’s presently before the House will cover the Supreme Court justices only that it will allow the marshals to protect their immediate family. It does not address the personally identifiable information. The information that got leaked and now, you know, everyone is going to residences and protesting. So it remains an issue for all judges, justices and judges alike. Our personally identifiable information is still out there. And we need to button that up. We need to seal that.
Daniel has been now – we’re headed to 22 months, the 19th of this month, where my son was killed in our foyer. The lawyer and litigant took that information and stalked us. We all are on the front line here. Justices, but the lower federal courts stand at the front line to protect democracy in this country. And we need to make sure that federal judges are protected everywhere. The rule of law mandates that. This country and what we are all about in this country mandates that we protect the judiciary.
ROBERTS: And where do we stand right now with Daniel’s Law, Judge Salas? What’s next?
SALAS: It stands in limbo. It’s been before the Senate and the House for months now. We have been advocating for the passage of the law. The irony, Robin, the irony is that if this law would have passed, the Justices’ addresses would have been sealed a long time ago. That’s the irony.
But we’re in limbo and I think we have to start asking ourselves why are our leaders not passing this law? Why are they not moving it? To my knowledge there is nothing controversial about protecting judges’ home addresses and our Social Security numbers. And yet, it’s not passing and I think the American public needs to start asking, why are our leaders not passing this law?
I think we saw a little bit of that when it originally didn’t pass in December. I understand members of Congress may want protections as well. I understand that. But the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act ready is to go. It’s been ready to go for months. It’s narrowly tailored to address this immediate interest, this governmental interest that is vital to democracy.
Let’s pass this bill and let members of Congress do what they need to do to protect themselves as well. But I am just saying, why are we waiting? What are we waiting for? Another tragedy to happen?
I mean, what Mark and I are living, we wish on no one. We wish on no one. It is very hard. I think of Daniel the moment I open my eyes in the morning and I think about him every single moment of my life. And you know what? We need to know that we can do our jobs without fear of retribution, retaliation or death. That is all that judges are asking for.
(...)
