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A 57-year-old Salt Lake City woman has been indicted on a charge that she threatened to assault and murder a Utah federal judge.
The indictment, handed up Wednesday, alleges Joan Osborn made the threat on or about Oct. 16 against a U.S. District Judge identified only as T.C.
Tena Campbell is the only federal judge in the state with those initials.
Osborn faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted. She is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Evelyn Furse in Salt Lake City on Monday.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Idaho is prosecuting the case.
The indictment does not give any additional details, but prosecutors said the alleged threat was made in a phone call.
This is not the first time Osborn has been accused of threatening a judge.
In 2002, she was charged with a third-degree felony for allegedly threating to 3rd District Judge Stephen Henriod.
Henriod was presiding over an eviction proceeding involving Osborn, when she allegedly sent a letter threatening to kill him, according to a Tribune article written at the time.
She was charged in September 2002 with one count of third-degree felony retaliating against a judge.
The case languished, however, after Osborn was found incompetent to stand trial.
She was eventually civilly committed to the Utah State Hospital and the case was dismissed in June 2003, according to court records.
Osborn was also charged with retaliating against a judge or parole officer in May of 2000. No information about that case — which also was dismissed due to mental health issues — was available.
Similarly, three counts of first-degree felony aggravated robbery filed in August 2002 were dismissed due to Osborn's civil commitment, according to court records.
Twitter: @PamelaMansonSLC