The freedom to criticize judges and other public officials is necessary to a vibrant democracy. The problem comes when healthy criticism is replaced with more destructive intimidation and sanctions.
I've had to deal a lot with my own sense of intimidation at meeting famous people - especially actors but really any famous people.
We have a president who stole the presidency through family ties arrogance and intimidation employing Republican operatives to exercise the tactics of voter fraud by disenfranchising thousands of blacks elderly Jews and other minorities.
The Klan had used fear intimidation and murder to brutally oppress over African-Americans who sought justice and equality and it sought to respond to the young workers of the civil rights movement in Mississippi in the same way.