Yon Renee Woodson-Renner convicted after a jury trial of Aggravated Harassment in the Second Degree for threatening a City of Middletown Court Judge
Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Friday, May 1, 2026, Yon Renee Woodson-Renner, age 65, of Atlantic City, New Jersey, was convicted after a jury trial of Aggravated Harassment in the Second Degree, in the City of Middletown Court, for having left a message on the City of Middletown Court answering machine threatening the City Court Judge that had previously sentenced her to jail following a jury trial. The case was tried before the Honorable Richard Clarino, a Justice of the Town of Newburgh Justice Court, since both City of Middletown Court Judges recused themselves from the case. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24, 2026, and faces up to 364 days in the Orange County Jail.
Evidence at the trial proved that the City of Middletown Court Judge had presided over a jury trial that resulted in the defendant having been convicted of Criminal Contempt in the Second Degree and Criminal Trespass in the Second Degree and had sentenced the defendant to six months in the Orange County Jail ,along with surcharges and fees. On March 23, 2023 the Judge reviewed a voicemail message that the defendant had left on the City of Middletown Court telephone recording system in which the defendant threatened to cause physical harm to the judge, and his family. The message caused the judge to reasonably fear for his physical safety and for the physical safety of his family. The jury found that the message that the defendant had left for the judge served no legitimate purpose and that it was reasonable for the judge to be fearful of the defendant.
District Attorney Hoovler thanked the City of Middletown Police Department, whose work led to the arrest and conviction of defendant.
“A threat to a judge is a threat that goes to the very integrity of our criminal justice system and must be taken extremely seriously,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “I applaud the actions of the judge in this case, for having made the appropriate notifications to law enforcement, and then recusing himself from the proceedings so that there would not be any appearance of impropriety.”
District Attorney Hoovler highly commended Assistant District Attorney Jacob Dreyer who prosecuted the case.
This criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
