Mich. Man Arrested After Allegedly Threatening Ex-wife, Attorney, Judge
Posted
Amanda Bridgman-abridgman@timesuniononline.com
A Michigan man is being held on a $20,250 bond after allegedly threatening his ex-wife, attorney Jay Rigdon and Judge David Cates.
Scotty Lee Van Hawk, 48, Cassopolis, Mich., was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday after being picked up on a warrant stemming from a March incident. Van Hawk is facing a Class A misdemeanor invasion of privacy charge and a Class A misdemeanor intimidation charge.
According to the police report, on March 5 a deputy with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office spoke with a woman who said her estranged ex-husband, Van Hawk, had been sending her threatening messages throughout the day, despite having an active no-contact order.
Police reviewed the text messages, according to the police report, and they showed Van Hawk threatening the woman and a threat that Cates and Rigdon were “going to get theirs this week.” Police notified both Cates and Rigdon of the threats, the report states.
A warrant had been out for Van Hawk’s arrest since March 18. On March 14, Kosciusko County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Mark Caruso petitioned the courts to increase Van Hawk’s bond, citing that his bond was originally set at $1,500. However, according to court records, Van Hawk was nabbed in Marshall County after his arrest warrant in Kosciusko was issued for allegedly carrying a handgun without a license. Van Hawk was not permitted to be in possession of any firearms as part of the protective order against him, court papers state.
“Given the nature of the new charges, the defendant has demonstrated instability or a disdain for the court’s authority to bring the defendant to trial and poses a risk to the physical safety of the community,” the bond increase petition states.
