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Jury convicts man who threatened judge with an ax
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A man who walked into the Cibola County Courthouse with an ax and asked where he could find a judge in 2024 was convicted by a jury Thursday of attempted first-degree murder, court records show.
John Karl O鈥橞rien, 65, was upset about a ruling handed down by Judge Amanda Sanchez Villalobos in a civil case and told others he planned to kill the 13th Judicial District Court judge.
O鈥橞rien also was convicted Thursday of threatening a judge and faces up to 10陆 years in prison at a sentencing hearing set for Oct. 23, the New Mexico Department of Justice said.
鈥淎ny threat to a judge is a threat to our entire legal system,鈥� New Mexico Attorney General Ra煤l Torrez said in a statement. 鈥淭hreats and acts of violence will never be tolerated.鈥�
O鈥橞rien鈥檚 attorney, Nicholas Hart, did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
On April 8, 2024, O鈥橞rien told staff at an Albuquerque law firm that he intended to kill Sanchez Villalobos and others, then drove to Grants, the statement said. 鈥淎 witness then saw O鈥橞rien grab an ax from his roof rack and drive away,鈥� it said.
Staff at the law firm alerted the Cibola County Sheriff鈥檚 Office about the threat.
A sheriff鈥檚 deputy saw O鈥橞rien enter the Cibola County Courthouse with the ax and heard him ask 鈥渨here is Villalobos?鈥� prosecutors wrote in a pretrial detention motion. The deputy drew his firearm and ordered O鈥橞rien to drop the ax and lie on the floor.
O鈥橞rien 鈥渕ade clear and unequivocal statements about his intent to kill Judge Villalobos and did in fact show up at her courthouse and requested her by name 鈥� while armed with an ax,鈥� prosecutors alleged.
The New Mexico Supreme Court assigned the case in 2024 to 1st Judicial District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer after all the 13th Judicial District Court judges recused from the case.
鈥淲e are deeply fortunate that this attack did not have tragic consequences, and I am pleased that John Karl O鈥橞rien is being held accountable for both his threatening words and his violent actions,鈥� Torrez said.
