Denver police investigating threats against Colorado Supreme Court justices after ruling disqualifying Trump from holding office

Washington — Law enforcement in Denver is investigating threats against justices of the Colorado Supreme Court in the wake of its landmark decision finding that former President Donald Trump is disqualified from holding the presidency due to his conduct surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.  

The Denver Police Department did not disclose details of the open investigations, citing "safety and privacy consideration," but is providing extra patrols around justices' residences in Denver and will give additional safety support if it is requested.

"The Denver Police Department is currently investigating incidents directed at Colorado Supreme Court justices and will continue working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to thoroughly investigate any reports of threats or harassment," the department said in a statement. 

The FBI separately said it is "aware of the situation" and working with Denver law enforcement.

"We will vigorously pursue investigations of any threat or use of violence committed by someone who uses extremist views to justify their actions regardless of motivation," a spokesperson with the bureau's Denver field office said in a statement to CBS News.

Online threats against Colorado Supreme Court justices spiked following its divided Dec. 19 decision finding that Trump is ineligible to return to the White House under the Constitution's so-called insurrection clause. The posts, made to X and far-right platforms, largely targeted the four justices who were in the majority and found Trump ineligible for  Colorado's presidential primary ballot.

Some of the comments on social media called for the justices to be killed, while other posts included their office email address, phone numbers, office addresses and photos, according to a report from Advance Democracy Inc., which monitored online responses to the ruling. 

Trump, too, has posted about the Colorado Supreme Court's decision on his social media platform Truth Social more than 20 times, and some users responded directly to the former president's messages with violent rhetoric targeting the four justices who ruled against him Trump.

The former president has vowed to appeal the decision from the Colorado Supreme Court to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Colorado court put its ruling on hold until Jan. 4 to give Trump time to appeal, ensuring his name will be listed on the state's primary ballot if he seeks review from the nation's highest court before then. Colorado's presidential primary election is set for March 5.

Melissa Quinn

Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com. She has written for outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Signal and Alexandria Times. Melissa covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts.

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