A South New Castle man is accused of threatening to shoot a Butler County Common Pleas Court judge’s wife and kidnap his grandchildren on Tuesday, Aug. 22.

Jesse Paul Myers, 41, was charged Thursday, Aug. 24, with felony retaliation against a prosecutor or judicial official and misdemeanor making terroristic threats.

He’s accused of threatening Judge William Robinson, who is presiding over an ongoing custody battle between Myers and the mother of his 3-year-old child. Myers made the threats outside the Butler County Courthouse during a discussion with his attorney, Sarah Iseman, regarding a contempt hearing, according to charging documents.

Court documents state that during their discussion, Myers was heard saying that he was going to shoot Robinson’s wife and was going to “pick people off coming out of the courthouse.”

“I wonder how Judge Robinson would feel if I were to kidnap his grandchildren,” police say Myers was heard saying.

Iseman, his defense counsel, reported the threat to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.

According to the affidavit, Myers threatened the judge in retaliation for previous court decisions involving the custody case.

In the last three years, there have been nine court proceedings between Myers and the mother of his child, documents said.

The custody case began in June 2020 and has involved multiple instances of Myers and the mother of his child accusing each other of abuse and requesting court orders.

On Aug. 22, Myers and his attorney attended a hearing on a petition he’d filed asking the mother to be held in contempt of court. Details on the outcome of the hearing were not available Thursday evening.

In the probable cause affidavit filed, detective David Aldridge wrote that Myers’ behavior during the case has been a concern.

“The defendant has been described as ‘very hostile’ and displays behavior that is rather unsettling to the court and all employees associated with each proceeding,” he wrote.

The trial in the custody case is scheduled for Sept. 14.

Eagle night editor Jamie Kelly contributed to this report.