Florida man threatens to kill judge after court appearance: Affidavit

CLEARWATER, Fla. - A man faces new charges after Pinellas County deputies say he called a judge a derogatory name in court, then threatened to kill another judge.

What we know:

According to an arrest affidavit, Andrew Buse appeared in the 6th Judicial Circuit court on July 12 and made derogatory statements toward two different judges during his appearance.

Buse was brought into court from the Pinellas County Jail for an advisory hearing on a misdemeanor battery charge. While in court, the arrest affidavit says that Buse called Judge Lorraine Kelly a "whore."

Mugshot of Andrew Buse. Courtesy: Pinellas County Jail.

The judge appointed a public defender to take on Buse's case before ordering him removed from the court.

While in the secure corridor outside the courtroom, investigators say Buse further stated, "I am going to kill Judge McKyton."

Excerpt from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Affidavit

The arrest affidavit states that the threat to Judge Cathy McKyton was heard by two deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office who were escorting Buse at the time.

This is the second time that Buse has allegedly made threats on the life of Judge McKyton.

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What's next:

Buse was given a $1,000 bond on the misdemeanor battery charge in the court appearance before Judge Kelly.

His threatening statements made in the court corridor brought a new felony charge of threatening a public servant. His bond was then revoked, and he was ordered to be held in the Pinellas County Jail until his trial on that charge.

In July 2024, he made the same threat against Judge McKyton and was ultimately determined to be incompetent to stand trial and committed to the State to treatment in a secure community-based facility to treat mental illness.