Activist Eric Brandt Pleads Guilty to Retaliating Against a Judge

DENVER—Denver District Attorney Beth McCann announced 49-year old Eric P. Brandt pleaded guilty to three felony counts of Retaliating Against a Judge (F5) for which he faces a sentencing range of one – six year’s incarceration for each count. This plea agreement consolidates multiple cases against Brandt that originated in Denver County, Adams County and Jefferson County. The first incident to which Brandt pleaded guilty occurred on December 18, 2018 and involved a Denver judge. The second incident occurred on November 19, 2019, and involved a Jefferson County judge. On December 2 and 3, 2019, Brandt retaliated against an Adams County judge, judicial assistant and Adams County Sheriff ‘s Office deputy to which he also pleaded guilty.

Regarding the Denver case, 19CR09696, a Denver District Court Judge was presiding over a case on December 18, 2019, involving a member of an environmental activist group. Present in the courtroom, were Eric Brandt who joined with associates in yelling, screaming and intimidating jurors. The presiding judge ordered the disrupting parties to be removed from the courtroom and two associates of Mr. Brandt’s were arrested at the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse.

One hour and twelve minutes after that courtroom disruption, that presiding judge’s judicial assistant received a phone call from Eric Brandt. Brandt requested that the judicial assistant pass on the message that, “It is my thought that the judge should be violently murdered and his brains splattered all over the face of his children. And it’s my prayer that some [expletive] actually does it. Kill, kill, kill, all judges should die,” Brandt went on to say.

The following day, Brandt posted a video online giving that judge’s home address and calling for protests at the judge’s home. On December 21, 2019, Brandt posted another video saying he was going to stop by the home of the judge’s parent and have a little chat. In a prior video, Brandt says the judge would, “look best hanging from a tree.” Brandt’s actions caused police to provide extra patrols around the judge’s home.

In addition to resolving the Denver case, Brandt pleaded guilty to harassment (M3) in Jefferson County case number 20CR0358 and Adams County case number 20CR0019. As part of the plea, Jefferson County cases 19M04726 and 19M04727 were dismissed. Sentencing was set for April, 26 2021, at 1:00 in courtroom 4G.

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