Plea Deal Deadline, Trial Set In Stupak Threat Case

A judge has set a Dec. 13 for any plea deal in the case of a northern Michigan man charged with threatening U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak over his vote on health-care legislation.

The date was set Monday during a final pretrial conference in federal court in Bay City. If no deal is struck, trial is scheduled for Jan. 11.

Russell Hesch of West Branch is charged with threatening Stupak and his family over the Democrat's vote in favor of a health-care law. He's accused of writing a letter that threatened to paint the Mackinac Bridge with Stupak's blood.

Hesch's lawyers say they need time to study a report by a linguistics expert used by the government.

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