ST. LOUIS 鈥 A city judge said Wednesday a threat to kill him and the jurors who convicted 22-year-old Daniel Riley of causing a crash that severed a teenager鈥檚 legs was an attempt to influence future judicial proceedings.
Judge Michael Noble appeared Wednesday by video in a hearing where another judge mulled whether to keep 34-year-old Erick M. Buntyn, of Madison, in jail without bond on a single felony charge of tampering with a judicial officer.
Buntyn, charges say, abruptly left a 最新杏吧原创 courtroom following guilty verdicts on two felonies and two misdemeanors and said he would 鈥(expletive) kill the judge and jury.鈥 Buntyn was sitting with Riley鈥檚 family and supporters during his weeklong trial this month.
People are also reading…
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 just an emotional outburst,鈥 Noble said Wednesday. 鈥淭he timing of it, to me, was impactful.鈥
Erick Buntyn was charged with threatening to kill a 最新杏吧原创 judge and jurors after a verdict in city court. (Credit: 最新杏吧原创 jail)
Noble is set to sentence Riley next month for causing a crash that severed Janae Edmondson鈥檚 legs on Feb. 18, 2023, in downtown 最新杏吧原创. Jurors recommended Riley be sentenced to up to 18 years and nine months, but Noble will make the final call.
Riley also has another pending robbery case in the city, over which Noble is presiding.
Noble said he believed Buntyn鈥檚 comments were a 鈥渟erious threat鈥 and an attempt to influence his future decisions. He had to be escorted home the night of the trial by a sheriff鈥檚 deputies, and precautions were taken to ensure the safety of jurors, he said. Noble urged St. Charles County Judge Jeffrey Sandcork, who is presiding over the case because a city judge is a victim, to deny Buntyn bond.
Buntyn鈥檚 lawyer, Jerryl Christmas, argued it was 鈥渞idiculous鈥 to keep his client locked up.
Christmas said Buntyn had walked out of the courtroom, which was guarded by multiple sheriff鈥檚 deputies, when the alleged comment occurred. Buntyn is not accused of directly threatening the judge or jury to their faces.
Instead, Christmas said, his client made an 鈥渙utburst.鈥 He had no intention of actually harming anyone, Christmas said, and neither Noble nor the jurors could hear what Buntyn said.
鈥淭his is ridiculous,鈥 he said.
Prosecutor Tanja Engelhardt, however, said it was important for the city to send a message to those who threaten the judicial process.
鈥淲e just cannot have this,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e need to protect our jurors and we need to protect our judges so that justice can be meted out without fear.鈥
Judge Sandcork ordered Buntyn to continue to be held without bond.
Judge Michael Noble delivers the verdict after the jury deliberated for about three hours before convicting Daniel Riley of second-degree assault, fourth-degree assault, armed criminal action and driving without a license. He was found not guilty on one count of fourth-degree assault. The second-degree assault charge and the armed criminal action charge are felonies; the other two charges are misdemeanors.
