(NationalUSNews.com) — Colorado Supreme Court justices are under increased security after receiving threats for their decision to remove Donald Trump from the 2024 presidential election ballot in Colorado. The Colorado Supreme Court removed Trump from the ballot due to his role in the controversial January 6th incident, claiming the former president “engaged in insurrection.” The court argued that Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election results equate to insurrection, barring him from holding public office in the United States.
The Colorado Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s ruling that the insurrection clause found in Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment doesn’t include presidents or former presidents such as Donald Trump. Section Three prevents anyone involved in an insurrection from holding public office in local or federal governments. Congress originally enacted the amendment shortly after the United States Civil War ended in 1865 to prevent elected officials involved in the Confederacy from returning to public office. After the events of the January 6th incident, some legal scholars began comparing Donald Trump to former Confederate leaders, arguing that Trump is ineligible to return to office.
Following the Colorado Supreme Court’s reversal, the justices involved in the decision began receiving death threats. The people issuing the threats named specific justices, including the four judges who joined the majority decision that prevented Trump from appearing on Colorado ballots. According to some reports, the threats are circulating throughout extremist forums on various websites, prompting the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s involvement.
A spokesperson for the FBI addressed the online threats, claiming that the FBI is aware of the situation and is cooperating with local authorities to ensure the safety of the Colorado Supreme Court justices. The spokesperson also claimed that the FBI will investigate any threat or violent actions from extremists, despite the perpetrator’s motivation. The Denver Police Department is also looking into the situation due to incidents aimed at the Colorado Supreme Court. The Denver Police Department also increased patrols around the homes of the threatened justices and is providing extra support to members of the court receiving threats from online audiences.
The threats targeting the Colorado Supreme Court aren’t the first instance of a judge receiving threatening messages for their role in a case involving Donald Trump. Authorities arrested Abigail Jo Shry in August after she left violent messages and voicemails for Judge Tanya Chutkan, who presides over Trump’s 2020 election case in Washington, D.C.
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