Texas woman charged with threatening judge overseeing Trump election interference case News
Simiprof, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Texas woman charged with threatening judge overseeing Trump election interference case

A Texas woman was arrested Wednesday for threatening to kill the federal Judge presiding over former President Donald Trump’s 2020 election interference case in Washington, DC.

According to the indictment, Abigail Jo Shry called the chambers of US District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan on August 5. She allegedly stated “you are in our sights, we want to kill you” and “we want to kill Sheila Jackson Lee.” After threatening to kill Chutkan and Sheila Jackson Lee, Shry allegedly stated “if Trump doesn’t get elected in 2024, we are coming to kill you, so tread lightly…” Shry then threatened to “kill all democrats in Washington DC” as well as “all people in the LGBTQ community.”

Two days after the call Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents conducted a “knock and talk” at Shry’s residence in Alvin, Texas. Shry admitted to DHS agents that she made the call to Judge Chutkan’s chambers. Shry told DHS agents that she had no plans to travel to Washington, DC, yet stated that “if Sheila Jackson Lee comes to Alvin, [Texas]” that DHS would “need to worry.”

Shry’s father testified at her detention hearing that Shry is non-violent and is suffering from substance use disorder. Shry’s detention order alleges Shry was already charged with making threats of bodily harm and was out on bond when she made the threats to Chutkan.

Shry is charged with violating 18 USC 875(c), which criminalizes communicating a threat to kidnap or injure a person across state lines. The maximum penalty is five years imprisonment.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Line of Demarcation divides the New World between Spain and Portugal

On May 4, 1493, Pope Alexander VI promulgated the Line of Demarcation, dividing the New World between Spain and Portugal in response the return of Christopher Columbus from his discovery of the American continents. However, neither country was entirely satisfied with the placement of the Line. A year later on June 7, 1494, the two nations signed the Treaty of Tordesillas, which moved the Line of Demarcation further west, giving Portugal claim to Brazil.

Kent State student shootings precipitated lawsuits

On May 4, 1970, National Guardsmen at Kent State University opened fire on students protesting the US invasion of Cambodia, killing four.

Review a legal chronology of the Kent State shootings, from May 5, 1970 (the day the FBI investigation started) to January 4, 1979 (the day the state of Ohio reached an out-of-court settlement for $675,000 with victims and relatives of victims).