Man Receives Sentence After Threatening SCOTUS Justice

(LibertyInsider.org) – Threatening a public official is a crime punishable by prison time and/or a hefty fine. One Florida man learned that lesson the hard way and was recently sentenced to jail time.

On Tuesday, April 2, the US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced that 43-year-old Neal Brij Sidhwaney had been sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for threatening to kill a Supreme Court justice. The suspect, a former programmer for Google, called the Court last July and, identifying himself by name, left an “expletive-laden, threatening voicemail message,” saying he intended to kill Chief Justice John Roberts. He was arrested within weeks of making the call and held in custody.

A Florida man was sentenced to over a year in prison for threatening to kill a Supreme Court justice, the Justice Department announced.

Sidhwaney placed a call to the Supreme Court and left an “expletive-laden, threatening voicemail message.” https://t.co/4K7VJeacJ6

— The Hill (@thehill) April 3, 2024

Last December, Sidhwaney pleaded guilty to a single count of making an interstate threat to injure. He underwent a psychological evaluation, which POLITICO posted online before it was sealed, and was determined to have “delusional disorder with psychosis.” However, he was deemed fit to stand trial.

The threat is only one of many recent incidents that prove threats of violence against public officials are on the rise. Conservative Justice Brett Kavanagh was also the subject of a suspect’s ire in 2022. That year, a California man, Nicholas Roske, was arrested near Kavanagh’s home. He was armed at the time and has been charged with attempting to assassinate the justice. His case is currently working its way through the courts. The SCOTUS is trying to secure additional funding for increased security measures.

Furthermore, according to a University of Nebraska at Omaha’s National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education (NCITE) Center report, there have been more than 500 threats against officials since 2013, with a notable spike following the 2016 and 2020 elections. The most sought-after targets were prosecutors and judges. Reuters reported that according to the Marshals Service, in fiscal year 2023, there were 457 threats against federal judges.