Federal Bench Responds to Rising Threats with Outreach, Education Initiative
- admin
- Aug 28
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 29
Originally published on Florida Bar News. , Aug 28, 2025 By Jim Ash
"Most Americans are getting their news from social media, and so we decided that we are going to meet the American people where they are."
– Courtney Cunnigham
Some South Florida federal judges are taking to social media in hopes of demystifying the courts, enhancing civics education, and building a greater appreciation for judicial independence and the rule of law.
“As you know, there’s a lot of toxic rhetoric and disinformation about the work of the federal branch,” said U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom.
The “Nothing but the Truth” campaign is the South Florida Chapter of the Federal Bar Association’s response to the latest wave of death threats and harassment that many federal judges have endured.
“Most Americans are getting their news from social media, and so we decided that we are going to meet the American people where they are,” said Chapter President Courtney Cunningham.
The campaign is purely educational, Cunningham stresses, and federal judges who have been appointed by Republican and Democratic administrations have eagerly agreed to participate.
WATCH the video here:
The series features brief video clips of a judge looking directly into the camera and answering simple questions.
“How do you get cases? What is due process? What is the rule of law?” Cunningham said. “It’s just basic high school civics.”
One clip of Bloom posted on the FBA’s Instagram page is bordered by a brief explanation.
“Our goal is to help the public better understand how the courts work and why an independent judiciary is essential to protecting the rule of law for all.”
The video shows Bloom in an office, neatly dressed in a blue blazer and slacks, her legs crossed comfortably in plush armchair.
A question, “What happens if a party disagrees with a court order?” flashes across the screen.
Disagreeing, Bloom explains, is normal in a process where one side always wins, and one side always loses. Because she is a trial judge, an appellate court can review her decision, she assures.
“But it is so important that we as Americans understand that our Constitution requires that there be three co-equal branches of government and it’s the judicial branch that issues the orders which must be complied with unless they are appealed and reversed.”
A 1988 University of Miami School of Law graduate, Bloom served as a Miami-Dade County judge and an 11th Judicial Circuit judge before President Barack Obama nominated her to fill a vacancy in the Southern District in 2014.
Although Bloom has not been a target of death threats or harassment, she was a natural for the FBA campaign.
In addition to chairing the Judicial Independence Committee of the Federal Judges Association, she serves with her close friend, U.S. District Judge Esther Salas of New Jersey, on the planning committee for the non-partisan “Speak up for Justice” forum.
The group of federal judges, academics, and bar service organizations formed after federal judges across the country began receiving unsolicited pizza deliveries bearing the name, “Daniel Anderl.”
Anderl, Salas’ 20-year-old son, was shot and killed five years ago when a disgruntled litigant showed up at the family’s New Jersey home disguised as a delivery driver.
Most judges didn’t understand the gesture until the U.S. Marshals Service issued a general warning, Bloom said.
“I don’t think the judges really understand that this was a targeted effort to say we know where you live, we know where your family lives, and do you want you or your family member to be like Judge Salas and Daniel Anderl,” Bloom said. “And that’s what started the effort for Speak up for Justice.”
Federal judges weighing challenges to White House policies across the nation are the most recent targets, but investigators note that perpetrators come from both sides of the political divide. Victims range from two sitting U.S. Supreme Court justices to two Hillsborough County court judges.
Cunningham says a better-informed citizen will be less likely to believe unfair criticism of an adverse ruling.
“I believe the average American is a good soul, and the average American is not participating in this kind of stuff,” he said. “But judges are being demonized and it’s our job to help the public understand what the role of the judiciary is, and so that’s what we’re trying to do.”