Threatening a judge never works out well for most people, but that didn’t stop hordes of anonymous Chud the Builder supporters from doing it. A Tennessee judge says she received a barrage of threats after revoking the bond of controversial livestreamer Dalton Eatherly, better known online as “Chud the Builder,” declaring in court that intimidation attempts would not influence her decisions.
During a hearing on June 25, General Sessions Judge Melissa Blackburn of Nashville, Tennessee, revealed that her office was inundated with threatening phone calls and social media messages after she ordered Eatherly held without bond on June 17. “Following that ruling, the court received numerous threats,” Blackburn said, adding that the harassment continued throughout the weekend and was severe enough that her judicial assistant had to manage the flood of messages.
Still, Blackburn emphasized that the threats would not deter her from carrying out her duties. “I will not be intimidated,” Blackburn said from the bench. “A threat to me is a threat to the finest system of justice we’ve created.”
The hearing concluded with Blackburn finding probable cause to move forward on three misdemeanor charges against the 28-year-old influencer: theft under $1,000, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. She also ruled that Eatherly would remain in custody as the cases are presented to a Nashville grand jury.
Beyond the Nashville misdemeanor case, Eatherly is also being held in Montgomery County, where he faces far more serious charges including attempted murder, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, and employing a firearm during a dangerous felony. All of these in connection with a May 13 shooting outside the Montgomery County Courthouse.
People online are mocking the anonymous threats
It’s not exactly clear who is making threats to the judge on behalf of Chud the Builder, but based on the fundraiser dedicated in his name, some of Eatherly’s supporters appear to be white supremacists leaving openly racist remarks on the GiveSendGo page. Hence, social media users have mocked these supporters, especially for their rather unwise action of provoking a judge, even anonymously.
“They are chimping out over a WHITE judge showing fairness, adherence to the rule of law, and fearlessness as she gives this nerd exactly what he deserves,” points out one X commenter. Another stated the obvious as Chud’s fate dangled rather precariously, “Not really doing chud the chump any favors by trying to threaten the people who will decide his fate. Makes sense people doing this are his fans and complete Imbeciles also lol.”
For the record, Chud the Builder himself grew famous as an influencer for his racially inflammatory remarks and “style” during his livestreams. Often, the influencer calls Black people racial slurs to their face, provoking reactions and filming them for online viewing. It appears he has also gained supporters who believe they share the same “ideals” as him.
