Sunday 3 July 2022 02:57 AM Supreme Court marshal calls on officials to crack down on protests outside ... trends now The marshal of the U.S. Supreme Court has asked Maryland and Virginia officials to enforce laws she says prohibit protesting outside the homes of the justices who live in the two states. 'For weeks on end, large groups of protesters chanting slogans, using bullhorns, and banging drums have protesting Justices' homes,' Marshal Gail Curley wrote in the Friday letters to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and two local elected officials, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey McKay, both Democrats. Curley wrote that Virginia and Maryland laws and a Montgomery County, Maryland, ordinance prohibit protesting at justices' homes, and she asked the officials to direct police to enforce those provisions. Virginia's GOP Governor Glenn Youngkin has since indicated he's in favor of granting Curley's request. The request came about a month after a California man was found with a Glock 17 pistol, knife and pepper spray near the Maryland home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh after telling police he was planning to kill the justice. The man, Nicholas John Roske, 26, of Simi Valley, California, has been charged with attempting to murder a justice of the United States and has pleaded not guilty. US Supreme Court Marshal Gail Curley is asking officials in Maryland and Virginia to enforce local laws against protesting outside of justice's homes Roske, 26, has been slapped with charges of attempted murder of a Supreme Court Judge by the feds In a statement responding to the marshal's request, spokesperson Christian Martinez said that Gov. Youngkin 'welcomes the Marshal of the Supreme Court's request for Fairfax County to enforce state law as they are the primary enforcement authority for the state statute.' The statement went on to call for Attorney General Merrick Garland to 'do his job' to enforce the laws protecting justice's homes, reports Fox News. While Maryland Gov, Hogan said that: 'Maryland State Police, in conjunction with local authorities as appropriate, enforce laws that prohibit picketing outside of the homes of Supreme Court Justices who live in Maryland.' U.S. Marshals patrol outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in Chevy Chase, Md., June 8, 2022 Pro-abortion activists with Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights hold baby dolls at the home of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett on June 18, 2022 in Falls Church, Virginia The home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh is guarded by federal marshals as pro-abortion protesters walk by the house Barrett's home became the site of another protest on June 30 as pro-abortion activists marched past her house repeatedly Fairfax County Police officers watch as pro-abortion protesters walk past Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's house in Alexandria Justices' homes have been the target of abortion rights protests since May, when a leaked draft opinion suggested the court was poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide. Thanks to three appointments made during Donald Trump's time in the White House, the court now has a six-three conservative supermajority, with further protests likely to ensue as other contentious rulings are handed down. The protests and threatening activities have 'increased since May,' Curley wrote in a letter, and have continued since the court's ruling overturning Roe v. Wade was issued last week. 'Earlier this week, for example, 75 protesters loudly picketed at one Justice's home in Montgomery County 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,' Curley wrote in her letter to Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. She added: 'This is exactly the kind of conduct that the Maryland and Montgomery County laws prohibit.' Curley cited a Maryland law in her letter that states: 'A person may not intentionally assemble with another in a manner that disrupts a person’s right to tranquility in the person’s home.' The punishment for that crime ranges from 90 days in prison to a $100 fine. U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh speaks during his ceremonial public swearing-in, in the East Room of the White House in October 2018 Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's draft opinion mobilized pro-abortion protesters across the nation in May 2022 Justice Amy Coney Barrett's home has been the location of several protests since the draft opinion was leaked in May In her letter to Jeffrey McKay, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, she said one recent protest outside an unspecified justice's home involved dozens of people chanting, 'no privacy for us, no peace for you!' The letters from Curley were dated Friday and shared with reporters by a spokesperson for the Supreme Court on Saturday. Youngkin and Hogan, both Republicans, have both previously expressed concerns about the protests. In May, they sent a joint letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking for federal law enforcement resources to keep the justices safe and enforce a federal law they said prohibits picketing with the intent to influence a judge. Hogan spokesman Michael Ricci said in a statement Saturday that the governor had directed state police to 'further review enforcement options that respect the First Amendment and the Constitution.' He also said that 'had the marshal taken time to explore the matter,' she would have learned that the constitutionality of the Maryland statute she cited has been questioned by the state Attorney General's Office. Elrich said he had no recording of having received the letter addressed to him and questioned why it was released to the press. He said he would review it and was willing to discuss it with Curley, but defended the job Montgomery County Police have done so far. 'In Montgomery County we are following the law that provides security and respects the First Amendment rights of protestors. That is what we do, regardless of the subject of the protests,' he said. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin spokesman Christian Martinez said the Virginia governor welcomed the marshal's request Maryland Gov. Hogan spokesman Michael Ricci said in a statement Saturday that the governor had directed state police to 'further review enforcement options that respect the First Amendment and the Constitution Christian Martinez earlier said that the Virginia governor welcomed the marshal's request and said Youngkin had made the same request of McKay in recent weeks. 'The Governor remains in regular contact with the justices themselves and holds their safety as an utmost priority. He is in contact with state and local officials on the Marshal´s request for assistance and will continue to engage on the issue of the Justice´s safety,' Martinez said. Youngkin in May pushed for a security perimeter around the homes of justices living in Fairfax County, but McKay rebuffed that request, saying it would infringe on First Amendment protest rights. The Virginia government also attempted to create a new felony penalty for certain actions during demonstrations aimed at judges or other officers of a court, which state lawmakers rejected. A spokesperson for McKay said he was working on a response to the letter. All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility