Man who threatened Lake County courthouse back in court

A California man who once threatened to "light up" the Lake County courthouse and later was deemed unfit to understand the court proceedings surrounding his prison sentencing is back in Lake County court.

Daniel Pederson, 35, of Calabasas, California, will attend a court hearing Tuesday to see if a judge has determined he is fit enough to understand a prison sentencing that was previously halted due to questions about his mental health.

Assistant State's Attorney Ben Dillon said Pederson was deemed fit by doctors at the Illinois Department of Human Services facility in Elgin. Now it's up to Lake County Judge Mark Levitt to decide if they should move forward with the sentencing hearing.

Pederson was found guilty in March of calling the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services on Sept. 12, 2014, after his California driver's license was suspended for being behind on child support.

Dillon said Pederson told an operator who answered the phone, "I'm going to light up the Lake County courthouse and the Gurnee Police Department."

The 37-second phone call was played at his trial and was instrumental in Pederson being found guilty of making a terrorist threat. He could be sentenced to prison for between 6 and 30 years.

However, the April sentencing hearing was halted when Levitt questioned whether Pederson was mentally fit to understand the court proceedings. That decision led to a mental health screening and the fitness hearing, where Levitt deemed him unfit. Throughout the hearing, Pederson routinely interrupted proceedings to argue with his attorneys, prosecutors, and the judge about his mental fitness.

Pederson pleaded guilty in 2015 to felony disorderly conduct and was sentenced to time served. He was returned to California, but months later filed paperwork to withdraw the guilty plea. That motion was accepted, the charges against him reinstated, and Pederson was returned to the Lake County jail to stand trial.