Threats to Federal Judges: Robert Ivers' Indictment for Assault and Murder

In a chilling display of violent rhetoric, 72-year-old Robert Phillip Ivers was indicted on three counts for threatening to assault and murder a federal judge and a Supreme Court Justice, as well as transmitting interstate threats to injure others, including a defense attorney. This latest case is a stark reminder of the dangers posed by threats to the rule of law and the importance of swift federal prosecution in these cases. Ivers' manifesto, a 236-page document filled with disturbing sketches and handwritten threats, reveals a fixation on perceived wrongs done to him by the judicial system and a clear intention to instill fear.

Key Takeaways:

• Robert Phillip Ivers, 72, was indicted on three counts for threatening to assault and murder a federal judge and a Supreme Court Justice, as well as transmitting interstate threats to injure others.
• Ivers was previously convicted federally of threatening to kill a federal judge in 2019.
• The manifesto, 236 pages long, contains various types of writings, sketches, and handwritten threats to kill, including threats to kill judges, their children, and pets.
• Ivers' purpose in writing the manifesto was to instill fear, as evident in the phrase "If this book doesn't instill fear in you then you're already dead."
• The manifesto fixates on Federal Judge A, who presided over Ivers' federal trial, and Federal Judge B, who Ivers was previously convicted of threatening to kill.
• Ivers has a history of threatening judges and others, and his history includes past threats of violence, a felony conviction, and racist commentary.

Statistics:

• 236 pages: the length of Ivers' manifesto
• 3 counts: the number of indictments against Ivers for threatening to assault and murder a federal judge and a Supreme Court Justice, as well as transmitting interstate threats to injure others
• 2019: the year Ivers was convicted federally of threatening to kill a federal judge
• 18 CR 90: the case number of Ivers' previous conviction for threatening to kill Federal Judge B

Sources:

• United States Department of Justice, Eastern District of Minnesota
• FBI
• Wayzata Police Department
• Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
• United States Marshals Service
• Hennepin County Attorney's Office