Bela Ballo (St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office).
A Wisconsin prosecutor recently found himself on the other side of the law after threatening judges, authorities in the Badger State say.
Bela “Alec” Ballo, 33, stands accused of three felony counts of battery or threat to judge, prosecutor, or law enforcement officer as well as one count each of disorderly conduct with domestic abuse, possession of THC, and possession of drug paraphernalia, all misdemeanors, according to the St. Croix County District Attorney’s Office.
The official St. Croix County directory for 2024-2025 shows Ballo listed as a member of the district attorney’s office where he serves as an “Assistant District Attorney.” The same document shows Ballo listed as a member of the County Traffic Safety Commission where his title is listed as: “Assistant District Attorney – (Discipline of Law).”
The ADA allegedly said judges in the county “needed to bleed,” and used various permutations of the phrase, authorities claim.
On April 4, a criminal complaint was filed and the defendant made his initial appearance in court later that same day, county records show.
Ballo allegedly complained to a coworker about three specific judges sitting in the 10th Judicial District – Scott R. Needham, Scott J. Nordstrand, and Edward F. Vlack – and referenced them by name, according to the complaint obtained by St. Paul-based ABC affiliate KSTP and Minneapolis-based NBC affiliate KARE .
The defendant was allegedly angry because the judges in question had dismissed some of his cases that had already gone to trial with sitting juries and made other “adverse rulings against him,” according to the complaint. The coworker said Ballo believed the three judges had issued those rulings “just to mess with him,” authorities say.
The upshot of all this, Ballo allegedly told the coworker over the phone, was the trio of vindictive judges were “making his life hell.”
“[T]hey just need to bleed,” the defendant allegedly said during that phone call.
More from Law&Crime: Attorney looks soaking wet after he’s arrested for smuggling drugs, cellphones into prison
The coworker said Ballo repeated some iteration of the phrase over and over – such as “needed to bleed” – and that he raised he raised his voice each successive time the bloodletting wish was recited, eventually screaming, according to the complaint.
“[The] vitriol in his voice was concerning,” the defendant’s coworker told police.
Days before those alleged threats, Ballo’s wife accused her husband of speeding and “weaving in and out of traffic” while driving home from the MSP Airport on March 26, with her and the couple’s 3-year-old and 5-month-old children in the car, according to copy of the complaint obtained by Minneapolis-based CBS affiliate WCCO .
The disorderly conduct charge is for the alleged reckless driving incident due to the children being present, according to the complaint.
When law enforcement eventually arrived at Ballo’s home, his wife also allegedly complained he habitually smoked marijuana every day after work, according to the complaint. Law enforcement allege they discovered both marijuana and drug paraphernalia inside.
Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.
The defendant, for his part, disputed the charges against him.
“Mr. Ballo vigorously denies the allegations levied against him,” Ballo’s defense attorney said in a statement provided to WCCO. “Because this is an open case, we cannot offer any details outside those contained in the criminal complaint. Nonetheless, the defense intends to challenge each accusation as the case unfolds. Mr. Ballo is presumed innocent of these charges, and he remains confident that the court process will produce a just result.”
The defendant received a $15,000 signature bond and he was quickly released from custody with a no-contact order which prohibits him from interacting with his wife or children, court records show. Ballo is slated to appear in court again for a status conference on April 16.
Law&Crime reached out to the St. Croix County District Attorney’s Office for additional details on this story but no response was immediately forthcoming at the time of publication.
