Fri May 09 13:10:00 UTC 2025: ## Chief Justice Roberts Defends Judicial Independence Amidst Impeachment Threats
**Buffalo, NY** – Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. issued a strong defense of judicial independence Wednesday evening, warning against the use of impeachment to challenge court rulings. Speaking before an audience of 600 lawyers and judges in his hometown of Buffalo, Roberts stated unequivocally, “Impeachment is not how you register disagreement with a decision.”
The Chief Justice’s remarks, delivered during a commemoration of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York’s 125th anniversary, are highly unusual. They follow a similar, written statement issued in March in response to threats from President Trump and his allies to impeach judges who ruled against the administration. While Roberts did not name the President directly on Wednesday, his comments clearly echoed his previous concerns.
This public intervention comes less than a week after Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson also denounced attacks on the judiciary, describing a climate of harassment that threatens the Constitution and rule of law. Both justices’ outspokenness represents a rare departure from the typical judicial reticence on political matters, highlighting the growing concern over the perceived politicization of the courts.
First Piper 