Rowan County man sentenced after threatening prosecutor

FRANKFORT, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – A Rowan County man has been sentenced to prison after admitting he made threats against the Commonwealth’s Attorney who was prosecuting his case.

Attorney General Russell Coleman announced Friday that 48-year-old Michael Hall pleaded guilty to one count of intimidating a participant in the legal process, a Class D felony.

According to a release from Coleman’s office, Hall was recorded during a jail phone call in October 2023 making threats toward Commonwealth’s Attorney Ashton McKenzie, who at the time was prosecuting him for multiple violent offenses, including assault, attempted murder, and strangulation. Prosecutors said Hall admitted the threats were made in an attempt to influence the outcome of his case.

The release states that under a plea agreement, the Commonwealth recommended a two-year prison sentence. That time will run consecutive to Hall’s existing sentence from the original case.

“The Office of the Attorney General will protect those fine prosecutors who protect Kentucky families,” Attorney General Coleman said. “There will be zero tolerance for those attempting to tamper with justice and threaten our public servants who administer the rule of law.”