Supreme Court official demands Maryland's governor halt picketing in front of Justices' homes: report
According to a report from the Washington Post, the top security official for the Supreme Court fired off letters to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) demanding they enforce laws on the books and stop picketing in front of the homes of justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The report states that Supreme Court Marshal Gail Curley claimed protests are continuing -- and growing -- long after the conservative court overturned the right of a woman to get an abortion no matter which state she lives in, and that the picketing represents a "threatening activity."
In the letters Curley wrote, "For weeks on end, large groups of protesters chanting slogans, using bullhorns, and banging drums have picketed Justices’ homes in Maryland. Earlier this week, for example, 75 protesters loudly picketed at one Justice’s home in Maryland for 20-30 minutes in the evening, then proceeded to picket at another Justice’s home for 30 minutes, where the crowd grew to 100, and finally returned to the first Justice’s home to picket for another 20 minutes. This is exactly the kind of conduct that the Maryland and Montgomery County laws prohibit.”
According to Curley, Maryland law states that a "... person may not intentionally assemble with another in a manner that disrupts a person’s right to tranquility in the person’s home” and that law “provides for imprisonment for up to 90 days or a $100 fine.”
The Post's Jasmine Hilton and Ann E. Marimow wrote, "Following the release of the leaked draft, but before the court issued its opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a California man was arrested near Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh’s home in Chevy Chase and charged with attempting to kill a judge," before adding, "The ongoing demonstrations outside of justices’ homes have sparked legal debate over whether laws banning picketing outside of the private homes of judges are constitutional."
The report notes that Maryland officials have yet to respond to the demand, before adding, "Montgomery County Police Department website says on its homepage: 'The Montgomery County Department of Police is committed to preserving the first amendment rights of all individuals wishing to participate in peaceful, lawful, protest and assembly," while also linking to the laws cited in the letters.
You can read more here.
