Second man charged with threatening Judge Headley

For the second time this week, a man has been charged with making threats against the Putnam Circuit Court judge.

In a case unrelated to a Monday incident that landed a Greencastle man in jail, Patrick S. Zaborski, 44, Indianapolis, has been charged with Level 5 felony intimidation.

Zaborski allegedly made threatening statements by phone to Judge Matt Headley and members of his staff.

Indiana State Trooper James Crisp began investigating the calls on Friday, March 4. A man had called the Putnam Circuit Court office on Thursday and Friday, reportedly threatening to harm the judge.

With two of his staff members having taken the calls, Headley called back on Friday afternoon. He told Crisp the man kept repeating himself and speaking threateningly.

Crisp discovered that the number belonged to Zaborski and asked the judge if he had dealt with the man. Headley said he had and that Zaborski had a history of substance abuse but no serious criminal history.

Crisp reached Zaborski by phone, and the man admitted that he had made the calls, saying he was intoxicated at the time.

Zaborski told Crisp he was angry that the judge had sent him to drug rehab. He also told the trooper he had no intention of acting on his threats.

On Wednesday, Putnam County Proescutor Tim Bookwalter officially filed charges against Zaborski in Putnam Superior Court.

Judge Denny Bridges issued a warrant for his arrest, but he was not in custody as of Thursday afternoon.

Intimidation is normally a Class A misdemeanor, but is enhanced to a Level 5 misdemeanor in this case because the threats were made against a judge.

A Level 5 felony carries with it a sentence of 1-6 six years, with a requirement to serve 75 percent of the sentence.

The earlier case was more of a close call for the judge, as the accused man, 25-year-old Joshua Akins, was actually in the courtroom. He allegedly threatened the judge and began to move toward him before Cloverdale Police Sgt. Charlie Hallam intervened.

Akins also faces a Level 5 felony intimidation charge, as well as a Class A misdemeanor charge of resisting law enforcement.