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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Police investigating death threats against judge

Police are investigating death threats made against a Spokane Superior Court judge. A relative of Judge Sam Cozza who shares his last name received a phone call about 10:55 p.m. Nov. 28 in which a male voice asked if the judge was there, then said “you just let him know that I’m gonna kill him. He’s gonna die tonight,” according to a search warrant filed this week. The same man called the next day about 9:30 a.m. and asked if the judge was dead yet, then called twice within the next 20 minutes and repeated the death threat, according to the warrant. Detective Paul Lebsock submitted the warrant to Comcast last week seeking the call history for the phone number that received the threatening calls. Caller identification showed the calls came from a private number. Cozza, who oversees criminal trials and divorce hearings, told police “he has taken these threats seriously and believes this threat could be carried out.” Lebsock said he expects to resolve the case shortly.