Photo
by
Collection
of
the
Supreme
Court
of
the
United
States
via
Getty
Images
Today,
the
Department
of
Justice
announced
the
indictment
of
Alaska
man
Panos
Anastasiou
on
nine
counts
of
making
threats
against
a
federal
judge
and
13
counts
of
making
threats
in
interstate
commerce.
According
to
the
indictment,
Anastasiou
engaged
in
a
17-month
campaign
of
threats
towards
six
Supreme
Court
justices
and
two
members
of
their
families.
(The
specific
justices
and
family
members
threatened
were
unidentified
by
the
DOJ.)
The
defendant
sent
465
messages
through
a
public
website
filled
with
vile
rhetoric
—
as
described
by
the
indictment,
“violent,
racist,
and
homophobic
rhetoric
coupled
with
threats
of
assassination
via
torture,
hanging,
and
firearms,
and
encouraged
others
to
participate
in
the
acts
of
violence.”
Anastasiou
threatened
to
murder
one
justice
by
“providing
the
rope”
to
“hang[]…from
an
Oak
tree.”
Anastasiou
threatened
to
kill
another
justice
by
“putting
a
bullet
in
his
[…]
head.”
All
told,
he’s
alleged
to
have
threatened
to
“assault,
kidnap,
and
murder”
six
different
justices.
“We
allege
that
the
defendant
made
repeated,
heinous
threats
to
murder
and
torture
Supreme
Court
Justices
and
their
families
to
retaliate
against
them
for
decisions
he
disagreed
with,”
said
Attorney
General
Merrick
B.
Garland.
“Our
justice
system
depends
on
the
ability
of
judges
to
make
their
decisions
based
on
the
law,
and
not
on
fear.
Our
democracy
depends
on
the
ability
of
public
officials
to
do
their
jobs
without
fearing
for
their
lives
or
the
safety
of
their
families.”
If
convicted,
Anastaiou
faces
10
years
for
each
count
of
making
threats
against
a
federal
judge
and
five
for
each
count
of
making
threats
in
interstate
commerce.
Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of
The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
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on
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@Kathryn1 or
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@[email protected].