(LifeSiteNews) — A former Stanford University employee has pleaded guilty to threatening U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk after he issued a pro-life ruling suspending the FDA’s approval of the abortion drug mifepristone.
Dolly Kay Patterson admitted in federal court on Friday that she sent a threatening message to Kacsmaryk in April 2023, warning him and his children to “watch [their] backs.”
The message was submitted via the Northern District of Texas court’s website days after Kacsmaryk issued a ruling halting FDA approval of mifepristone, a drug used in over 60 percent of U.S. abortions.
“Tell this antiabortion judge he needs to watch his back—and that of his kids—the rest of his life!” Patterson wrote, according to court documents.
Patterson was initially charged with two counts. Under a plea deal, she pled guilty to one charge carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Her sentencing is scheduled for September 30.
She had previously denied responsibility, but prosecutors said she confessed during a home visit by U.S. Marshals.
Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk was appointed by President Donald Trump. He graduated summa cum laude from Abilene Christian University and worked for First Liberty Institute, a Christian nonprofit legal organization.
He was also a member of the committee that organizes the annual “Red Mass” for legal professionals in the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth.
Kacsmaryk has faced sustained backlash since the mifepristone ruling. In court filings, he reported receiving a “barrage” of death threats, harassment, and abusive voicemails following the decision.
A second woman, Alice Marie Pence of Florida, was sentenced in November to 10 months in prison after threatening Kacsmaryk with sniper violence if he failed to rule in favor of abortion.
Kacsmaryk’s ruling was part of a case brought by pro-life doctors and medical associations. Although a federal appeals court partially upheld the judge’s decision, the U.S. Supreme Court later overturned that ruling, preserving access to the drug. The case may continue with new plaintiffs, including the Republican-led states of Idaho, Missouri, and Kansas.
The prosecution of Patterson comes amid heightened concern over threats to members of the federal judiciary. A Reuters investigation recently found that at least 11 federal judges have faced threats or harassment after issuing rulings perceived as unfavorable to left-wing causes. The judiciary has asked Congress to increase funding for security for judges and their families.
United States v. Patterson is proceeding in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, case no. 2:24-cr-00070.