LISBON — A preliminary/pretrial hearing has been moved to 10:30 a.m. Friday in Columbiana County Municipal Court for the Wellsville man facing charges for alleged threats against Wellsville police, harassing a judge, having a loaded gun in his car and failing to follow repeated commands to exit the vehicle.

Steven D. Wright, 45, Main Street, is facing charges of fourth-degree felony charge of improper handling a firearm in a motor vehicle, two counts fifth-degree felony aggravated menacing, and misdemeanors of obstructing official business and two counts of telecommunications harassment.

Retired Carroll County Judge John Campbell, who was assigned as visiting judge for the cases against Wright, agreed to appoint Jeffrey Jakmides as special prosecutor for the cases. Columbiana County Prosecutor Vito Abruzzino requested a special prosecutor be assigned due to a substantial conflict of interest because the county prosecutor is the statutory counsel for one of the alleged victims in the offense.

Columbiana County Municipal Court Judges Kelly Linger and Tim McNicol both recused themselves from the cases, citing conflicts of interest. McNicol was named as the judge allegedly being harassed on social media by Wright. Alleged threats were also made on social media against members of the Wellsville Police Department.

When police came to arrest Wright last week for the menacing and telecommunications harassment charges, he allegedly refused to come out of his vehicle and when police did a search after he was taken into custody, a loaded gun was found in the vehicle within reach.

Bond remains at $200,000 cash or surety and Wright was ordered to have no contact with the alleged victims, and to not have any weapons or firearms, if he’s released. He remains in custody.