Charges dropped in Obama e-mail threat case

The San Francisco Chronicle says US District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel yesterday ordered the release of 60-year-old John Gimbel of Crescent City.He went to trial and jurors reported Nov 1 that they were deadlocked and a mistrial was declared.

Prosecutors told the judge on Monday that charges won't be refiled.Investigators say Gimbel sent a profanity-laced e-mail last year to Obama, White House staff and some media outlets, threatening the president and his family. He was allegedly angry that Obama had not intervened in earlier cases against him.