Chief Justice John Roberts arrives before President Joe Biden gives the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol, Thursday, March 7, 2024, in Washington. (Shawn Thew/Pool via AP).
A previous programmer at Google in Fernandina Beach, Florida, was given a 14-month federal prison sentence on Tuesday for leaving a profanity-laced voicemail with the U.S. Supreme Court in which he made threats against Chief Justice John Roberts.
According to court documents, Neal Brij Sidhwaney, 43, made a phone call from Florida to the high court on July 31, 2023 in which he said the following:
Yeah hi, my name is Neal Sidhwaney, uh, this message is for [Justice Roberts] … I will f—— kill you … Go f—— tell the Deputy U.S. Marshals you f—— p—-. I will f—— talk to them and then I’ll f—— come kill you anyways, you f—— c—.
Roberts wasn't specifically mentioned in the indictment, but was cited in a psychological assessment presented in the case as part of the court proceedings.
The Supreme Court police and the U.S. Capitol Police looked into the case, leading to Sidhwaney being indicted for violating 18 U.S.C.§ 875, which makes it illegal to transmit threats across state lines.
In September 2023, U.S. Magistrate Judge Monte C. Richardson determined after a hearing that Sidhwaney was fit to stand trial. Alan Harris, a psychologist from Jacksonville, provided an assessment to the court stating that Sidhwaney could comprehend the legal proceedings against him, but likely suffered from a delusional disorder and related paranoia.
Harris stated in the report that according to Sidhwaney’s mother, Sidhwaney would become “enraged” after watching the news, then take to writing letters or making phone calls. The report also noted that Sidhwaney believed Google had implanted a chip into his hand and foot.
In January 2024, Sidhwaney pleaded guilty to the charges against him.
Before the justices took their summer recess in 2023, there were calls for the Supreme Court to enact a code of ethics that reached a peak. In the following November, all nine justices endorsed a code of ethics that was heavily criticized for lacking any enforcement mechanism.
In late June 2023, the Court issued several controversial rulings, including one that eliminated affirmative action admissions programs in U.S. universities, one that supported a Christian postal worker who refused to deliver packages on Sundays, and another that overturned President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan, and one allowing a Christian web designer to reject providing services to same-sex couples.
U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard, a George W. Bush appointee, oversaw Sidhwaney’s sentencing on Tuesday. Sidhwaney could have faced up to five years in prison for his offense.