A Douglas County judge Wednesday morning ordered a 61-year-old Lawrence man to stand trial on charges he threatened a probation officer in 2009.

District Judge Michael Malone found enough evidence to bind Glenn D. Gross over for trial after hearing about an alleged letter Gross wrote to court services officer Perry Chance.

Prosecutors accuse Gross of threatening, on Nov. 4, 2009, to beat up Chance if he saw him in downtown Lawrence. They also accuse Gross in a misdemeanor count of trying to intimidate Chance from testifying in court in another case.

Gross has been serving time on two other cases at Osawatomie State Hospital. Defense attorney Elbridge Griffy told Malone due to Gross’ mental state at the time it was questionable he intended to threaten Chance.

Malone also said he would recuse himself from the trial because investigators testified Gross was upset because he believed Chance wrongly accused him of directing profanities at Malone during a conversation with the probation officer.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for June 30.