Northern Michigan man heads to prison for threats against judge, county prosecutor

A northern Michigan man will serve up to 15 years in prison over threats to a local judge, prosecutor and assistant prosecutor, the Michigan Attorney General's Office says. 

Barry Hopkinson, 61, of Cheboygan, was sentenced on June 18 by visiting Judge Colin Hunter of the 46th District Court for a term of three to 15 years. Hopkinson had pleaded guilty in March to one count of attempted making a terroristic threat with a habitual fourth offender note, the attorney general's office said.

The threats were directed at a 53rd Circuit Court judge, the Cheboygan County prosecutor, and a Cheboygan County assistant prosecutor. 

The attorney general's office said Hopkinson had previously been sentenced to the Cheboygan County Jail on a stalking offense. He repeatedly claimed he was not treated fairly and planned to acquire firearms to harm the Cheboygan County Circuit Court staff. 

The state attorney general's office filed its charge in January 2025. 

Implications for Michigan's anti-terrorism law 

The Hopkinson case highlighted ambiguity in Michigan's anti-terrorism law. 

"A recent Michigan Court of Appeals decision initially misinterpreted Michigan's anti-terrorism statute and deemed it unconstitutional," the attorney general's office said about this case. 

Litigation went back and forth between the Michigan Supreme Court and the Michigan Court of Appeals over the matter. Amid those rulings, the Michigan Court of Appeals urged the Legislature to clarify and update the statute. 

In the meantime, Attorney General Dana Nessel testified before the Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety Committee in support of Senate Bill 502. The legislation intends to amend the Michigan Anti-Terrorism Act to specify that a person who threatens to commit an act of terrorism and communicates the threat with reckless disregard of a substantial risk would be guilty of a felony punishable by up to 20 years' imprisonment, a maximum fine of $20,000, or both.  

Senate Bill 502 passed the Michigan Senate in March and has been assigned to the Michigan House Judiciary Committee.  

"Without this legislation, our anti-terrorism laws remain vulnerable. Terrorist threats are too dangerous to tolerate, and we must ensure we have the tools available to protect our public servants and our communities," Nessel said.