CLEVELAND, Ohio - The judge presiding over the trial of convicted Heartless Felon Julius Webster has received two death threats from one of Webster's fellow gang members, prosecutors say.
William Hammons, 23, who is serving 100 years in a state prison in Lucasville, was indicted Monday on charges of retaliation, intimidation and three counts of aggravated menacing. Hammons, according to authorities, also is a member of the Heartless Felons.
The threats stem from letters that authorities said Hammons sent to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Michael Astrab, who presided over Webster's trial. A jury on Monday convicted Webster, 29, of Cleveland, of murder, attempted tampering with evidence and two counts of aggravated robbery.
Astrab, in a separate proceeding, found Webster guilty of seven gang-related charges. Defense attorneys successfully sought to sever the gang charges from murder and robbery charges because they feared Webster's role in the Heartless Felons would prejudice the jury.
Webster faces life in prison with the first chance of parole in more than 50 years. Astrab will sentence him March 10.
The indictment against Hammons was unsealed after the verdicts against Webster were read. Hammons' indictment and interviews with court officials indicate Hammons made threats against Astrab and "his immediate family.''
In 2013, Astrab sentenced Hammons to life without parole plus 100 years for the rape and murder of Sharon Anderson-Norfus, a 60-year-old Shaker Heights woman. Hammons is serving the sentence in the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville.
Astrab could not be reached for comment Monday night.
During a break in Webster's trial, Astrab hinted at what he and his family had faced. As he walked into his courtroom, he waved to a sheriff's deputy and asked whether the deputy had been stationed overnight in front of his home. The deputy said another officer had been at the judge's home.
Peter Henning, a law professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, said there was no ethical issue that would have called for Astrab to step down from hearing the case.
"Judges are very reluctant for outsiders to dictate their cases,'' Henning said. "If he steps down, every gang member will write and threaten a judge. That smacks of trying to take control of the judiciary, and judges will never allow that.''
County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty agreed, and he hailed Astrab's decision to continue on the case.
"Had this judge given in to these gangsters and excused himself from the case because of their threats, a terrible precedent would have been set,'' McGinty said.
"Other criminals would have been encouraged to threaten strong judges. By standing tall and strong, Judge Astrab has protected the integrity of our system of justice."
Plain Dealer news researcher Jo Ellen Corrigan contributed to this story.