by
Mark
Wilson/Getty
Images)
Ed.
note:
Welcome
to
our
daily
feature,
Quote
of
the
Day.
I’ve
been
on
the
bench
almost
15
years,
and
I
must
say
it’s
the
one
time
that
actually
shook
my
faith
in
the
judicial
system
and
the
rule
of
law.
I
didn’t
want
to
be
here.
It
took
me
a
long
time.
I’ve
never
spoken
about
what’s
happened
to
me
personally,
because
I’m
not
looking
for
pity.
I’m
not
looking
for
sympathy.
I
want
to
be
able
to
just
do
my
job
again.
—
U.S.
District
Judge
John
McConnell
Jr. of
the
District
of
Rhode
Island,
in
comments
given
during
a
recent
webinar
hosted
by
Speak
Up
for
Justice,
where
he
spoke
of
receiving
an
angry
voicemail
where
the
caller
said
he
hoped
someone
would
assassinate
the
judge.
The
angry
voicemail
was
one
of
more
than
400
he’d
received
after
making
a
ruling
against
the
Trump
administration.
McConnell
has
since
received
six
credible
death
threats.
“I
don’t
know
that
the
public
understands
how
the
rule
of
law
and
the
independence
of
the
judiciary
is
so
violently
under
attack
like
I’m
not
sure
we’ve
ever
seen
in
this
country,”
he
said.
Without
specifically
mentioning
Trump,
judges
who
spoke
at
the
event
encouraged
U.S.
leaders
to
stop
“demonizing”
the
judiciary.
Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
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on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
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with
her
on LinkedIn.