January 1, Alaska Man Arrested for Threatening Supreme Court Justices with Murder and Torture

An appalling incident has come to light as an Alaska man was apprehended on Wednesday for threatening the assassination of six Supreme Court Justices, as confirmed by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

This alarming individual, Panos Anastasio, bombarded the Supreme Court’s website with over 465 messages between March 2023 and July 2024. After January 4th, his communications escalated into violent, racist, and homophobic rants, explicitly threatening torture, hanging, and gun violence, according to the indictment. Temporary detainment orders have been issued, and Anastasio will face Judge Kyle Reardon for a detention hearing.

In a clear attempt to intimidate and retaliate against the justices, Anastasio’s venomous threats were directed toward their official decisions.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland denounced the actions, stating, “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. 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.”

Some might argue that such threats are made to suppress conservative voices and decisions, aiming to terrorize justices who uphold the Constitution. The indictment reveals that his messages included advocating for “mass assassinations” and “torture,” with one vile message stating he had “no reservations” about shooting a Supreme Court justice in the head.

Another chilling message from Anastasio fantasized about seeing both a former president and a Supreme Court Justice being hanged, a disturbing echo of left-wing intolerance for differing viewpoints.

He didn’t stop there—Anastasio also threatened the family members of the justices, as per the indictment. This isn’t merely rhetoric; this is intimidation aimed to grind down justice through fear.

“The defendant has a history of threatening public officials, with other similar threats directed at the governor of another state,” the filing states. Alarmingly, his violent tirades amplified even after an initial visit from the FBI to his home.

We must be vigilant and recognize this threat for what it is: an attack on our democracy and our cherished legal institutions. It is imperative to ensure that our justices can perform their duties without living under the shadow of such vile threats. So long as we stand united, we can safeguard the rule of law and protect those who uphold it from the darkness of violent extremism.

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