A Hyde Park woman has been charged following an outburst during her son's arraignment, according to an announcement by Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden. The incident at the West Roxbury BMC saw Felicia Rodriguez, 46, allegedly threatening a prosecutor, which has resulted in charges including intimidation of a court official, threats to commit a crime, and a civil rights violation.
Authorities say that during the arraignment of Rodriguez's son, the assistant district attorney overheard a derogatory comment from the gallery. After identifying Rodriguez as the source, the ADA also heard her allegedly warn, "Watch your back." The exchange, recorded by the court’s audio system, was confirmed by other court officials. As a result, West Roxbury Judge Vanessa Velez set Rodriguez's bail at $200 and ordered her to stay away from the prosecutor and the West Roxbury court, except for official court matters, as reported by the Suffolk District Attorney's Office.
According to a statement made by the Suffolk District Attorney's Office, Rodriguez is expected to return to court on December 19, following the decision by Judge Velez to allow a motion to transfer the case to another court.
The swift response to the threat by court personnel was lauded by DA Hayden. "Anyone who thinks they can threaten a prosecutor, a judge or any other court official without consequences is very much mistaken. We will not tolerate such threats in any shape or form," he emphasized, as stated by the Suffolk District Attorney's Office.
