Amarillo Federal Judge Allegedly Threatened By Florida Woman

The Justice Department has recently announced charges against Alice Marie Pence, a 67-year-old woman from Florida, who has allegedly threatened to kill a federal judge in Amarillo.

Pence was accused of making a threatening phone call to the judge's chambers in Amarillo, Texas, with intentions to “ impede, intimidate, and interfere with the performance of his official duties”. However, Pence's motivation behind these threats is currently unknown.

Although the judge whom Pence was charged with allegedly threatening has not been directly revealed, it should be noted that Amarillo’s only current residing district judge is Mattew J. Kacsmaryk. Kacsmaryk was notably involved in a federal county hearing earlier this year which had suspended the FDA's approval of mifepristone, a medical abortion drug.

Pence is facing charges of transmitting interstate threats and intending to influence a federal official by threat. According to this announcement from The Justice Department, she could potentially face 15 years in federal prison if convicted.

Currently, Pence is scheduled to make her appearance in court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Harris Toliver next week on Wednesday, November 22, 2023.

Separate Threats

This is not a lone case, however. In the same announcement by the Justice Department, it was stated that Daniel Ray Garcia, a 44-year-old currently incarcerated in the Texas state prison in Midway, Texas, is also facing similar charges of mailing a threatening communication to a district judge.

The U.S. Marshals Service will be conducting this investigation and the assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht will be prosecuting both of these cases.