A man who was the voice of Charlie Brown in several "Peanuts" specials was charged Friday with threatening a San Diego Superior Court judge and trying to hire someone to kill Sheriff William Gore.
Peter Robbins, 59, pleaded guilty two years ago to threatening his girlfriend and stalking a doctor who performed breast-enhancement surgery on her. He was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to enter a live-in drug treatment program and meet other conditions.
Robbins was re-arrested this year for probation violations, including cutting off his GPS bracelet, drinking alcohol and failing to complete domestic violence classes.
He had been scheduled to be sentenced on that case Friday. Instead, Robbins was charged with making criminal threats against Judge Robert F. O'Neill and Gore and attempting to make a threat against a witness in his underlying case.
Deputy District Attorney Brenda Daly told Retired Los Angeles County Judge William Chidsey Jr. that Robbins has continually, over the past few months, sent threatening letters to kill or shoot people.
The defendant is accused of offering $50,000 for someone to kill Gore, the prosecutor said.
Chidsey -- brought on the case because all San Diego judges recused themselves -- set a Dec. 7 preliminary hearing in Robbins' new case, which includes a felony vandalism charge for allegedly writing on jail cell walls.
Robbins initially refused to agree to the December date, telling the judge that he had been in jail for eight months and didn't want any more delays. He subsequently agreed to the preliminary hearing date sought by the attorneys on the case.
The defendant -- who was seen crying during Friday's hearing -- faces more than 11 years in prison if convicted, Daly said.
Robbins -- who is being held without bail -- was 9 years old when he began doing vocal performances for such films and television specials as "A Boy Named Charlie Brown," "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."
