A man who threatened to kill a Hamilton County judge’s family is expected to be released from jail in June, despite being found guilty May 4 of a charge related to the threat.
That’s because Xavier Jackson, 24, was only convicted of a misdemeanor aggravated menacing charge − for threatening to kill Common Pleas Judge Christopher McDowell’s family − and received credit for the time he already has spent in jail.
After a bench trial May 4 in Hamilton County Municipal Court, Judge Mike Peck found Jackson guilty of the menacing charge and sentenced him to the maximum six months in jail.
Jackson, who has been in jail since Dec. 11, 2025, has already served nearly five months. He represented himself during the two-hour bench trial and questioned witnesses, including McDowell.
In an interview after the verdict and sentencing, McDowell said he considers Jackson to be a threat to him and his family.
“At this point, there’s nothing to prevent him from coming to my house or coming to my courtroom,” McDowell said.
Felony charge ignored by grand jury
It’s unclear why Jackson was indicted on only a misdemeanor charge, even though prosecutors presented both the misdemeanor and a more-serious felony charge, retaliation, to a grand jury. Retaliation carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
The reason or reasons the grand jury didn’t indict on the retaliation charge are not clear. Prosecutor Connie Pillich has declined to comment on the specifics of what happened during the grand jury proceedings because they are secret. She did say that each case is fact-specific and that grand juries review evidence and make independent charging decisions.
“My office takes any threat of harm seriously, including those made against judges,” she said in a statement. “Judges must be able to perform their duties free from intimidation. Threats against them undermine the integrity of the justice system.”
McDowell said that in the grand jury process, prosecutors are almost always able to obtain indictments on whatever charges they seek. But in his case, McDowell asked, “Why couldn’t they indict a man (on a felony) who threatened to kill a judge’s family?”
Even Judge Peck, after imposing the sentence, told Jackson: “You’re in misdemeanor court when you should have been in felony court, and I don’t understand why.”
Details of threat revealed in testimony
Jackson made the threat on Dec. 30, 2025 before being led into McDowell’s courtroom to be sentenced for a probation violation in a drug case. Jackson was in a small room adjacent to the courtroom, talking with his attorney. A sheriff’s deputy stood nearby.
Jackson became upset about the potential sentences for the violation. He told his attorney that if McDowell sentenced him to prison, he would kill McDowell’s entire family, Hamilton County sheriff’s Deputy Thomas Tenhundfeld testified.
Jackson, who at least twice could be seen laughing to himself during the trial, asked questions that often led to objections by prosecutors. At one point, Jackson belched loudly.
After Tenhundfeld testified that he made sure to stand closer to Jackson in McDowell’s courtroom because of the threat, Jackson objected.
“That’s sexual,” Jackson said before giving an incomprehensible explanation.
Jackson also tried to object to the deputy’s testimony about how McDowell reacted after he told McDowell about the threat.
Jackson said the testimony would be “racist” because “he’s going to say I’m violent because of my skin color.” Peck overruled the objection.
Under Ohio law, Jackson’s sentence for the threat had to be served at the same time as the probation violation sentence, which ended up being about six months.
Jackson was one of six people since 2025 charged in Hamilton County with threatening judges. All the other cases led to felony convictions or felony charges that are still pending.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Judge fears for his safety despite man’s conviction for death threat
Reporting by Kevin Grasha, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
