JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After a federal judge took the stand to testify about a shot fired into his Jacksonville home in June 2013, a jury found Aaron Richardson guilty of attempted murder and 23 other charges.
Prosecutors said that when Richardson fired a shot through the sliding-glass door of Judge Timothy Corrigan's home, he was facing revocation of supervised release on a conviction for attempting to make a bomb
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FBI Special Agent Michelle Klimt said the bullet missed Corrigan by a few inches and he suffered minor cuts from broken glass. Investigators learned that the bullet went through two walls and the window.
Richardson was arrested at his Westside apartment less than 48 hours after the shot was fired at Corrigan's home.
"This investigation started with no witnesses and no evidence, other than the fragment of a bullet recovered at Judge Corrigan's home," Klimt said at the time.
Richardson was accused of stealing a .30-06 rifle and a box of ammunition from the Sports Authority on Arlington Expressway on June 20 or 21, then using it to fire one shot into Corrigan's Southside home.
DOCUMENT: 2013 indictment of Aaron Richardson
Richardson was charged with attempted murder of a U.S. district judge, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, theft of a firearm from a gun dealer, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a stolen firearm, impersonating a police officer, and five counts of false statements to an FBI agent and nine counts of false statements to a probation officer.
Prosecutors said Richard had forged Corrigan's name on papers and may have been trying to kill him to cover up that forgery.
The jury found Richardson guilty of all but one of the offenses. Prosecutors said they will request the maximum sentence of life in prison. No sentencing date was set.
"It was an assault not only on the judge, but really on the justice system," Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Heavener said.
Because the victim in the case was a judge from the Middle District of Florida, a federal judge from Alabama was brought in to preside in the case.
Corrigan was present when the verdict was read and received hugs from people in the courtroom. He declined comment until after Richardson is sentenced.
Prosecutors said Corrigan's behavior as a federal judge was unaffected by the attempt on his life.