Brett Nelson, a 44-year-old Gunnison County, Colorado resident, has been indicted by a grand jury on 24 counts, including criminal extortion, conspiracy, and retaliation against a judge. He still faces a $300,000 bond after the indictment.
According to Courthouse News Service, Nelson has filed over 40 lawsuits in federal court against judges, clerks, and mediators since 2017 for alleged civil rights violations and unpaid arbitration awards.
The April 2022 indictment further alleges that Nelson threatened and harassed more than a dozen victims, including Judges Keri Yoder, Donald Jackson, and Ashley Burgemeister of the 7th Judicial District, as well as Alamosa County Judge Daniel Walzl. Many of these threats occurred after Nelson attempted to obtain fraudulent arbitration awards from these judges and others.
The indictment also notes that Lori Talbot, an attorney in Gunnison County who represented the mother of Nelson’s child in a domestic relations case, received a letter from Nelson claiming that she owed him payment for a fictitious arbitration award. After he left her a threatening voicemail, she installed security cameras at her home.
During the bond hearing, Nelson claimed that the court had denied him due process in his underlying arbitration claims. He stated, “This case hinge-pins on the bald-faced lie that I did not go through arbitration when unequivocally I underwent arbitration.” Nelson also claimed that the court’s proceedings “followed a ‘pretrial determination of guilt’ in a ‘kangaroo court.'”
However, Senior District Judge Kenneth Plotz declined to lower Nelson’s bond and set arraignment for March 29. According to Courthouse News Service, Plotz stated that Nelson’s “comments speak for themselves.”
Nelson’s behavior raises concerns about the safety and security of judges and legal professionals. Threatening or harassing judges or legal professionals is a serious offense that can result in severe consequences, including imprisonment and fines.
In conclusion, Brett Nelson, a Gunnison County, Colorado resident, faces a $300,000 bond after being indicted by a grand jury on 24 counts, including criminal extortion, conspiracy, and retaliation against a judge. He has filed over 40 lawsuits in federal court against judges, clerks, and mediators since 2017 and has a history of threatening and harassing legal professionals. His behavior raises concerns about the safety and security of judges and legal professionals and highlights the severe consequences of threatening or harassing these individuals.
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Colorado man faces $300K bond after suing, threatening multiple judges