An inmate at the James River Correctional Center has been charged with two counts of terrorizing for threatening letters addressed to a Morton County prosecutor and a South Central District Court judge.

Robert Lee Johnson, 28, is serving time for threats he made to a Burleigh county state's attorney, a judge and his defense attorney in 1999, said Mandan Police Detective Dave Shipman.

"Johnson has a history of threatening lawyers, judges and staff at JRCC,"Shipman said.

In June, Morton County Assistant State's Attorney Brian Grosinger and South Central District Court Judge Donald Jorgensen received letters from Johnson in which he threatened to kill them and their families, Shipman said.

Shipman said Grosinger was the prosecutor in the state's case against Johnson in 1999. Since threats were made against a Burleigh County state's attorney in that case, Morton County stepped in to handle the case, Shipman said.

He said authorities do not believe Johnson has ever appeared before Jorgensen, so it is unknown why he would threaten the judge.

Johnson is slated to make his first appearance at the Morton County Courthouse in this case on Oct. 31, according to court documents.

- JennyMichael