Judge in Elko courthouse bomb threat trial recuses himself

ELKO — A court appearance has been postponed for a man accused of making a bomb threat against the Elko District Court after the judge recused himself from the case.

The Elko Daily Free Press reports 34-year-old Casey Overacker of Spring Creek was scheduled to be arraigned on Monday, but Judge Al Kacin recused himself because he was working at the courthouse the day police say the suspect called in the bomb threat in June.

Kacin says he doesn’t think he can be fair and impartial because the threat disrupted proceedings in his courtroom, which made him angry.

The judge said that if the bomb threat had occurred on a day he wasn’t there, he might have been able to preside over the proceedings.

Overacker’s attorney, Jeff Kump, said he understood. A new court date was pending.