Yesterday, a 72-year-old man was indicted on charges of threatening to assault and murder legal officials, including a federal judge and a Supreme Court Justice, along with making interstate threats against a defense attorney. Robert Phillip Ivers, the man in question, has a grim past, with a previous federal conviction for threatening to kill a federal judge.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson made it clear that the threats were serious crimes against the justice system. "Threats to murder a federal judge, a Supreme Court Justice, and a defense attorney are not just words on a page. They are direct attacks on the rule of law," Thompson said, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota. "We will not allow violent rhetoric to become routine. When someone threatens our judges, we will answer with swift federal prosecution."
The indictment followed an incident at the Wayzata Library in Minnesota, where Ivers reportedly printed and displayed parts of a manifesto detailing violent actions against judges. The unsettling booklet, provocatively titled "How to Kill a Federal Judge," promised teachings on extreme violence. As per the U.S. Attorney's Office, the manifesto brazenly stated, "The harsh reality is that judges are going to die." Law enforcement found Ivers and apprehended him after he claimed a heart attack and was briefly hospitalized.
Further investigation dug up worrisome items in Ivers's vehicle, including a photo with a threatening overlay, a list of federal judges, and a replica firearm, among other concerning materials. Ivers's 236-page manifesto was rife with explicit threats and sketches that seemed to outline his vengeful desire, targeting particular judges who had ruled over his previous cases, reported the official statement. "It was supposed to!" Ivers exclaimed when asked if he thought his writings would scare anyone. His initial court appearance has occurred, with a detention hearing to follow.
