Supreme Court marshal asks Md. gov. to prevent protests near justices' homes

July 2 (UPI) -- Supreme Court Marshal Gail Curley sent letters asking officials in Maryland to prevent protesting outside the homes of the high court's justices, many of whom live in the state.

The letters, reviewed by The Washington Post and CNN, asked Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, and Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich to enforce a Maryland law that prevents people from gathering "in a manner that disrupts a person's right to tranquility in the person's home."

Curley also cited a Montgomery County law that prevents protesters from picketing in front of "any private residence" and another that allows groups to march in a residential neighborhood "without stopping at any particular private residence."

"For weeks on end, large groups of protesters chanting slogans, using bullhorns and banging drums have picketed Justices' homes in Maryland," Curley said in the letter to Hogan.

"Earlier this week, for example, 75 protesters loudly picketed at one justice's home in Maryland for 20-30 minutes in the evening, then proceeded to picket at another justice's home for 30 minutes, where the crowd grew to 100, and finally returned to the first justice's home to picket for another 20 minutes."

Protesters have been sporadically gathering outside of the homes of Supreme Court justices since May when a draft opinion ahead of the high court's decision to overturn the landmark abortion ruling Roe vs. Wade was leaked to Politico.

"Since then, protest activity at the justices' homes, as well as threatening activity, has only increased," Curley alleged in the letter.

In the weeks before the Supreme Court decision was finalized, an armed man from California was arrested near the Maryland home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and charged with attempted murder.