Man who held judge at gunpoint convicted of terrorism

He forced himself into a judge’s house at gunpoint and held the judge hostage for hours — and now he’s been convicted of terrorism.

A Finney County jury on Friday found Jason Linn Nichols, 34, guilty of one count each of terrorism, kidnapping, aggravated burglary, criminal threat and criminal restraint, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said in a prepared statement.

Nichols, who lives in Garden City, was also convicted of two counts of aggravated assault. He was found not guilty of a second county of terrorism, Schmidt said.

The incident occurred on May 31, 2016, in Garden City at the home of a state judge. Evidence presented at the trial showed that while Nichols held the judge in his home, he demanded that a phone call be placed to the Kansas secretary of revenue. During the call, Schmidt said, Nichols demanded various types of information related to state taxes.

Nichols is slated to be sentenced on Sept. 15 in Finney County District Court.

This story was originally published July 28, 2017 at 7:13 PM with the headline "Man who held judge at gunpoint convicted of terrorism."