Threat to kill Racine County judge, convicted sex offender charged
Richard Paul
RACINE, Wis. - A convicted sex offender, who is already in jail, is now accused of threatening to kill the Racine County Circuit Court judge who is presiding over his open felony case.
In court:
Court records show Richard Paul, 68, is charged with threatening to cause bodily harm to the judge. He's scheduled to make his first court appearance in the case on March 30.
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The backstory:
The criminal complaint filed against Paul states he was convicted of first-degree sexual assault in two different cases in 1980 and has been in custody nearly every year since.
On March 25, the complaint states, Paul was in the Racine County Jail when he made "threats to harm" the judge. Investigators watched footage from a correctional officer's body-worn camera that captured the threats.
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What they're saying:
Court filings said the correctional officer told Paul that the jail could not provide printed copies of all the court cases and laws he had requested. Paul said he was "going through an ‘indifference’" with the judge because she ordered him to remain in jail as he awaits trial in a felony case.
In reference to the judge, court filings said Paul told the correctional officer that he "done told the b**** to go f*** herself" and "there ain't nothing that you can threaten me with that I ain't been through already." Paul said he'd spent 48 years "in the penitentiary" and "I ain't going to f*** with – f*** that judge…I'm about to just get totally belligerent."
The correctional officer told Paul that he did not want him to be belligerent, and let him know he could use a tablet while in the jail. Prosecutors said Paul continued, in reference to the judge: "That's telling me then I might as well go in and pick up a homicide. I've got nothing to lose." He added: "When I go in there on the 31st, I'm gunning down. And y'all going to be picking up a body out that f****** courtroom. Straight up, real talk…I can be handcuffed and all that; that ain't stopping me."
The Source: FOX6 News referenced information from the Racine County District Attorney's Office, Wisconsin Department of Corrections and Wisconsin Circuit Court.