Man sentenced for threatening to kill US judge in Hawaii

HONOLULU (AP) — A man who threatened to rape and kill a federal judge in Hawaii who previously sent him to prison said at his sentencing Tuesday that he never intended to hurt her.

Julius Hudson got a 10-month prison term, but he has already served about 9½ months and is expected to be released to a halfway house by month’s end.

Hudson pleaded guilty in May to threatening to assault and murder U.S. District Court Judge Susan Oki Mollway, who had sentenced him in 2002 to about two years in prison for burglary. After he was released, he began making harassing calls to her, according to court documents.

In January, Hudson made a phone call saying he was returning to Hawaii from Texas, the documents said. In February, he called and threatened to walk into her courtroom to rape her and “blow your … brains out Judge Mollway,” the records said.

Hudson said Tuesday that he’s sorry for the threats.

“I knew I was threatening Judge Mollway, but I didn’t want to hurt her,” he said.

A federal judge from California presided over the case because Hawaii judges recused themselves. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said a doctor’s report concluded Hudson is not violent or dangerous.

Breyer said he’s confident Hudson can overcome his anger management issues and lead a productive life. He said he would pass on Hudson’s apology to Mollway.

A halfway house can’t take Hudson for a few more weeks, so the sentence includes the additional time to ensure he has a place to go after he’s released from federal detention, Breyer said. Hudson also received three years of supervised release.