Paragould Man Accused of Threatening Judge, Officers

PARAGOULD, Ark. — A suspect is being held on a $1 million bond after a probable cause affidavit accused him of threatening a judge, deputies, and their families during an outburst in court.

Kejuan Cortex Payne, 31, was seen in Greene County District Court on January 8, 2025. Online records for that court appearance aren’t available, but jail records suggest Payne was being seen on a contempt of court charge for failure to pay fines. This was his fourth arrest for no liability insurance. He was also charged with driving on a suspended or revoked license.

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However, the probable cause affidavit alleges that Payne made a bad situation much worse in court on January 8.

While in the courtroom and in route back to the Greene County Detention Center, authorities reported Payne made threatening comments such as, “You are a dead motherfu*ker,” and “Y’all folks gonna die too.” The comments were directed at two Greene County deputies, their families, Judge Dan Stidham, and his family.

The affidavit states the comments were caught on a cellular phone device and on a deputy’s body camera.

Judge Scott Ellington found probable cause to charge Payne with threatening a judicial officer or juror, a Class B felony; and terroristic threatening, a Class D felony. Bail was set at $1 million.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.