Rigby woman barred from courthouse after FBI alerts Jefferson County of threat
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RIGBY — A Rigby woman has been banned access to the Jefferson County Courthouse for a year after authorities say she threatened staff.
The FBI informed Jefferson County officials of the threat after Kimberly Ann Hyde Rhodes recently failed to prevail in court regarding a custody of children case, according to a letter addressed to her and signed by Jefferson County Commission Chairman Scott Hancock. He wrote that Rhodes “threatened to gather 60 to 70 people with guns (to) stand up for their rights and take matters into their own hands.”
It’s not clear how the FBI learned of the threat, but as a result, an emergency meeting was held by the Jefferson County Commission on Wednesday.
“This is very serious,” Hancock said in a news release. “We are taking this situation very seriously for the protection of our employees and the public.”
The commissioners believed the threat to be against county law enforcement, the judicial branch, the prosecutor’s office and other government agencies at the courthouse, according to the press release.
“We must take these statements at face value,” Hancock wrote to Rhodes.
The woman is barred from all major offices inside the courthouse, including the annex and sheriff’s office at 210 Courthouse Way for one year, according to the letter.
Rhodes does have limited access to the courthouse facilities — provided she does so peacefully — for certain activities such as attending hearings she is a part of, driver’s license renewals and payment of property taxes, but she must leave immediately after. If she intends to appear at the courthouse for one of those reasons, proper security measures will be taken, according to the letter.
“Failure to do so or a failure to act in a peaceful manner shall be an unauthorized entry upon the property, for which the county will seek charges of trespass,” Hancock said in the letter.
The sheriff’s office is investigating. As of Wednesday afternoon, no criminal charges had been filed against her.
Rhodes could not be reached for comment.