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"                      <p class=\"imgtitle\">Madison County sheriff's deputies carefully screen all visitors entering the courthouse.</p>           A threat made against a Madison County judge and an Edwardsville attorney by a man involved in divorce proceedings, prompted heightened security at the courthouse March 23.<br /><br />An anonymous letter allegedly written by Erik Stolle, who is undergoing a divorce from his wife Mary Stolle, was received at the Circuit Clerk's office on March 18. <br /><br />According to a source in the Circuit Clerk's office, the letter threatened \"to kill the judge, her attorney and anyone else\" if he had to pay any more child support.<br /><br />The letter was turned over to the Madison County Sheriff&rsquo;s Department.<br /><br />Tension around Associate Judge Lewis Mallot's courtroom where Stolle was scheduled to appear for a hearing was high. <br /><br />A picture of Stolle was posted at the courthouse entrance for deputies' alert. Undercover sheriff's officers and other city police officials were strategically placed throughout the courthouse.<br /><br />When Mary Stolle&rsquo;s attorney, Erin Riley, entered the courthouse she was immediately met with a security detail that followed her every move while in the courthouse.<br /><br />Sources tell <I>The Record</i> that all four tires on Riley's vehicle had been slashed.<br /><br />Don Bridick, security director for the courthouse would not comment or confirm the threats.<br /><br />In the end, Stolle never appeared in court Wednesday as he has hired a new lawyer, Fred Steiger, who has requested more time to review the case.<br /><br />Judge Mallot set a special hearing for April 7 at 9 a.m.<br /><br />In 1996, Circuit Judge Ann Callis was placed in protective custody after Kelly McGinnis of Greenville murdered his ex-wife&rsquo;s attorney.  Authorities were worried McGinnis would also retaliate against Callis because she presided over the couple's divorce proceedings.<br /><br />Callis also was threatened in 2000 by a man who was involved in a murder in Alton.<br />"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://madisonrecord.com/stories/510559540-threats-against-judge-and-attorney-not-taken-lightly>