A Hamilton County jury has convicted a 35-year-old man of threatening two judges who were handling his child custody case, with calls and statements prosecutors say described courthouse security details and warned that the dispute could turn deadly. Jarrod Petty now faces up to 13 years in prison, with sentencing set for later this month.
Petty was found guilty of six counts of intimidation following a jury trial in Hamilton County Superior Court 3, according to FOX59. He was convicted of threatening two judges who handled his custody case, as reported by WISH-TV, which also first detailed the case in coverage republished by The Hamilton County Reporter. He had been charged with intimidation on April 16, 2025, after investigators said he made threatening phone calls involving Judge Andrew Bloch and Judge Christopher Evans.
What the Probable Cause Affidavit Describes
A probable cause affidavit filed in Hamilton County Superior Court lays out a string of calls investigators tied to Petty between February and April 2025. On February 21, 2025, a caller identifying himself as Petty phoned the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office Child Support Division and said he knew the courthouse's entrances and exits, security measures, and camera locations, according to the affidavit cited in the WISH-TV report.
Weeks later, on March 14, 2025, Court Administrator Jill Acklin reported receiving a call from someone identifying himself as Petty. The caller made derogatory comments about Judge Bloch and expressed anger over his custody case, telling Acklin, “If I don't get legal custody of my kids, I'm not following y'alls process,” and warning her not to “dismiss me and act surprised with what happens,” per the same account. The caller also said Evans would “pay hell” if Petty lost custody of his children.
Threats Escalated Before Charges Were Filed
The threats reportedly grew more severe as the case progressed. Court reporter Jill Savage told investigators she received a threatening call from someone identifying himself as Petty on April 15, 2025, in which the caller said, “I will get justice any way I can. I'm not afraid to break the law to get justice for my little girl, may cost lives, there's no lines I would not cross,” according to the affidavit detailed by WISH-TV.
The same caller reportedly compared judicial accountability to a case involving a Kentucky judge and referenced Evans' two daughters and son, the affidavit states. Court documents place the span of threatening contacts between February and April 2025, according to the FOX59 report, which also notes that Madison County Prosecutor Andrew Hanna confirmed his office served as special prosecutor in the case.
Sentencing Looms Later This Month
Petty's sentencing is scheduled for November 24, when a judge will determine how much of the maximum 13-year prison term he will serve. Until then, the six counts of intimidation stand as a jury's final word on a custody dispute that prosecutors say spilled into direct threats against the judges and staff tasked with resolving it.
