Emotions run high in criminal cases and as such, sometimes judges may find themselves as the target of harassment and threatening messages if their ruling wasn’t in a person’s favor. This is what happened in a recent case when a resident from Paramas threatened a federal judge over delaying the verdict of his case.
The Defendant
The defendant, W.K. is a 56 year old man from Paramus, New Jersey. In the past, W.K. has shown animosity towards federal authorities, having previously tried to sue the U.S Government for “letting socialists and muslims” hold jobs in the federal office.
The U.S attorney’s office in New Jersey has not identified the judge in question but it is known from the court documents that W.K. has had at least three cases in front of one Newark judge in particular.
Threatening Language
W.K. believed that the judge had caused an “unacceptable” delay in his case and according to the prosecution, proceeded to pay an internet service to find the address of the judge. Once the defendant located the judge;s address, W.K. threatened and terrorized the judge with multiple phone calls, emails and U.S postage. In some of his messages, W.K. called the judge a “traitor,” and said that “traitors have a death sentence.”
The FBI documented the initial contact W.K. made when he mailed an envelope telling the judge to expedite the case. He was later interviewed and said that the judge “had taken too long on the case.”
Later, W.K. voiced his complaints to the judge in a voicemail, stating that he did not want “to wait around for a year” to hear the verdict. Furthermore, he said that he wanted the judge off the bench and in a more threatening tone, “wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
W.K. also wrote an email to the judge’s personal email account attaching the email of an U.S marshal. The email included frightening language, with W.K. threatening that the judge’s home address, "will become public knowledge very soon and God knows who has a grievance and what will happen after that..."
Additionally, in this email W.K. said the judge needed to be “dealt with.”
The Charges in New Jersey
On the same day that email was sent, W.K. was arrested and charged with "making an interstate communication containing a threat to injure a person and with threatening to assault and murder a federal judge." W.K. was charged with threatening a federal judge and if convicted, he will face up to 10 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines.
This is a very difficult charge to fight because if the threat was aimed toward a federal official, it will be investigated by the FBI. It is imperative to have an extremely skilled and experienced criminal defense lawyer to make your case.
Contact an Experienced Hamilton Criminal Defense Lawyer in New Jersey
Were you arrested or charged with threatening a federal judge in New Jersey? The consequences of a conviction could be severe, leaving you with a permanent criminal record and possibly even sending you to prison. That is why you need to speak with a qualified criminal defense attorney as soon as possible about your case. The attorneys at Davis Law Firm, LLC have successfully represented clients charged with threatening a judge in Hamilton, Trenton, Lawrence, Princeton and throughout New Jersey. Call 609-587-9100 or fill out the online contact form to schedule a consultation with a member of our legal team. We have an office conveniently located at 2653 Nottingham Way, Hamilton Township, NJ 08619.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.
Disorderly conduct consists of any improper behavior such as fighting, threats of violence, or creating a dangerous atmosphere.
