What does Reverend Hale mean when he asks if every defense is an attack upon the court in the crucible?

When John Proctor, Giles Corey, and Francis Nurse tried to save their wives from the gallows by presenting various arguments to Danforth, he arrested Proctor and Giles for attack upon the court, and he called in the people on Francis' petition for questioning for contempt of the court. Hale means that these people are only trying to protect themselves, yet Danforth views it as an attack upon the court.