Inmate charged with threatening judge who sentenced her

GREENSBURG, Pa. (AP) - A prison inmate has been charged with threatening a western Pennsylvania judge who sentenced her to prison.

The Tribune-Review reports that county detectives allege that 28-year-old Rebecca Gardner threatened to kill the Westmoreland County judge with a knife and then use gasoline to set fire to the home. Authorities said the handwritten letter ended “Sincerely your killer” with Gardner’s name.

In March, the judge sentenced her in a simple assault case to two to four years in state prison. Authorities allege that Gardner said she sent the letter because she feared she would be sent to a state hospital during a June 27 hearing.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled June 11 on charges of retaliation against a judicial official and terroristic threats. Court documents don’t list an attorney representing Gardner.

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Information from: Tribune-Review, http://triblive.com