US Marshals told not to arrest protesters at Supreme Court justices’ homes

KARAH RUCKER: U.S. MARSHALS ASSIGNED TO PROTECT SUPREME COURT JUSTICES LAST SUMMER WERE TOLD TO AVOID ARRESTING PROTESTERS DEMONSTRATING OUTSIDE SEVERAL JUSTICES’ HOMES.

ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK GARLAND WAS CONFRONTED WITH DOCUMENTS OUTLINING THE MARSHALS TRAINING NOT TO MAKE ARRESTS – AFTER THE TOP BIDEN OFFICIAL PREVIOUSLY SAID THE DOJ DIDN’T PROSECUTE PROTESTORS BECAUSE U.S. MARSHALS MADE NO ARRESTS.

UNDER A FEDERAL STATUTE – IT IS ILLEGAL FOR PROTESTORS TO PICKET OUTSIDE OF A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE’S PRIVATE RESIDENCE WITH THE INTENT TO INFLUENCE ANY DECISION BEFORE THEM IN COURT.

BUT FOLLOWING THE LEAK OF A SCOTUS DRAFT SIGNALING THE OVERTURNING OF ROE VERSUS WADE LAST MAY – SEVERAL JUSTICES HAD PROTESTORS OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOMES.

REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS HAVE SCRUTINIZED THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FOR FAILING TO MAKE ANY ARRESTS. U.S. MARSHALS WERE SENT TO STAND GUARD AND PROTECT THE JUSTICES. BUT ENFORCEMENT OF THE FEDERAL STATUTE WAS LIMITED ACCORDING TO HOW MARSHALS WERE TRAINED TO HANDLE SUCH SITUATIONS.

ACCORDING TO TRAINING DOCUMENTS OBTAINED BY REPUBLICAN SENATOR KATIE BRITT OF ALABAMA – U.S. MARSHALS WERE TOLD TO “AVOID, UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, CRIMINAL ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS INVOLVING THE PROTESTS OR PROTESTERS, PARTICULARLY ON PUBLIC SPACE.”

THE MARSHALS WERE TOLD “ARRESTS AND INITIATING PROSECUTIONS IS NOT THE GOAL OF THE USMS PRESENCE AT SCOTUS RESIDENCES. ANY ARRESTS OF PROTESTERS ARE A LAST RESORT.”

GARLAND SAID HE WAS UNAWARE OF THE GUIDELINES WHEN CONFRONTED BY SENATOR BRITT AT A SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.

KATIE BRITT | (R) ALABAMA: “Were you at any point, before your testimony, aware of these training materials, or that these marshals were heavily discouraged from making arrests under sec.1505?

MERRICK GARLAND | ATTORNEY GENERAL: “This is the first I’ve seen this slide deck and I can’t quite make it out.”

BRITT: “It’s clear the marshals were given a different directive and I would ask that you look into that please.”

GARLAND: “I will.”