Threat to kill Wash. municipal judge reported

One man has been arrested and police are looking for a second man after a threat to kill Tacoma Municipal Court Elizabeth Verhey was reported.

TACOMA, Wash. —

One man has been arrested and police are looking for a second man after a threat to kill Tacoma Municipal Court Elizabeth Verhey was reported.

Pierce County prosecutors have charged Ronald Ewing, 51, with intimidating a judge and felony harassment. Darrel Talbott, 61, also was charged and is being sought by police.

Prosecutors said a witness told police that he heard Ewing and Talbott discussing killing the judge sometime in February.

Court papers said the witness told police that Talbott ordered guns by telephone and that the two men discussed "taking a 'long shot' at the judge with a rifle." The News Tribune reported the men were apparently angry at a sentence she gave Talbott.

The court papers said the witness told police the threats were made at a house in Tacoma.

The documents said Ewing mentioned that Verhey was about to sentence him, and Talbott responded by saying he wanted to harm her.

"The witness expressed the belief that Talbott was angry enough to kill Judge Verhey," the papers said.

Talbott has been before Verhey many times and Ewing had a scheduled court date Wednesday in Tacoma Municipal Court, according to the papers. They didn't specify what the charge is, but KING-TV reported that the judge was scheduled to sentence Talbott for a drunken driving charge this month.

Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum said Ewing was arrested Thursday. He was arraigned in Pierce County Superior Court Friday.

Meanwhile, Verhey is refusing to talk to the media because of safety concerns and didn't let television cameras in her courtroom last week.

Court Administrator Yvonne Pettus said she was working with officials at the County-City Building to ensure that courtrooms are secure.

"The judge is just being careful, changing driving routes, that kind of thing," Pettus said.

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Information from: The News Tribune, http://www.thenewstribune.com