Streator man may plead to death threats

A Streator man appears ready to plead guilty to threatening La Salle County judges and lawyers.

Joseph A. Call, 36, appeared Thursday in a Zoom conference with his fill-in judge, Associate Judge Brenda Claudio, who was brought in from Kankakee because none of the La Salle County judges can hear Call’s case.

Claudio set a plea hearing for 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, again by Zoom.

Call faces up to five years in prison if convicted of seven counts of threatening a public official.

According to court records, Call is alleged to have taken to social media on May 3 and May 6 and issued death threats to three judges, the state’s attorney and two assistants, and the public defender.