A Costa Mesa man is once again facing serious charges after prosecutors say he threatened Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer for a second time.
Sixty-three-year-old Danny Bruce Richards was arraigned Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to two felony counts: criminal threats and threatening public officials. He also entered a not-guilty plea to a misdemeanor telephone charge in the same proceeding. A judge ordered him back to the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana on March 5 for a pretrial hearing.
According to MyNewsLA, the new complaint alleges the latest threats were made on Feb. 9. The outlet reports that prosecutors formally filed the two felony counts at Wednesday’s arraignment and that Richards was instructed to return to court next month.
The case comes on the heels of an earlier matter that began after Adult Protective Services conducted a welfare check on July 14, 2022. Court papers say Richards allegedly asked an APS official if she had "a silencer" and suggested he might "take out" people in his way. His attorneys initially filed a motion seeking pretrial diversion for mental-health treatment, then withdrew it. The 2022 case was dismissed on July 23, 2022.
MyNewsLA also reports that Richards faced a misdemeanor count last year for making annoying telephone calls. A warrant was issued after he failed to appear, and he entered a not-guilty plea to that charge on Wednesday.
What the charges mean
Under California law, criminal threats are defined in Penal Code §422. Prosecutors can file the charge as either a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the facts of the case, but in every instance the law requires that the alleged victim reasonably fear for their safety. The full statute text is available at Penal Code §422.
Threats directed at certain public officials, including prosecutors, are separately covered by Penal Code §76. That section has its own penalty structure and allows subsequent violations to be prosecuted as felonies.
What’s next
The case remains pending. Richards is due back at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana on March 5 for a pretrial hearing. The Central Justice Center, which handles criminal matters for Orange County, is listed on the Superior Court of California, County of Orange website.
