Law Enforcement Investigating Threats Against Justices of the Colorado Supreme Court

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 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.

Following a divided decision by the Colorado Supreme Court on December 19, online threats against the justices have surged. The court ruled that Donald Trump is ineligible to return to the White House under the Constitution's insurrection clause, leading to a spike in posts on various platforms targeting the four justices who were in the majority. The threats were made on both X and far-right platforms. Trump himself has also posted about the court's decision on his social media platform Truth Social more than 20 times, prompting some users to respond with violent rhetoric against the justices who ruled against him. Trump has stated that he plans to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Colorado court has put its ruling on hold until January 4 to allow for the appeal. This means that if Trump seeks review from the nation's highest court before then, his name will still be listed on the state's primary ballot for the presidential election on March 5.