Judge KondoUnable to make his $1.5 million bail, Mercer Island attorney John C. Siegel has become a genuine jailhouse lawyer. He’s working out of his Seattle jail cell, defending himself against felony charges of threatening to kill Seattle Municipal Court Judge Kimi Kondo. But he can’t be a real attorney unless he has his laptop, printer, a cell phone, and a private room with electrical outlets and Internet access, he recently told the court in a motion he was forced to write by hand. The equipment is needed if he is to prepare a “meaningful defense” for himself, he said, adding–as both attorney and client–that “Siegel’s conduct has been exemplary while incarcerated.”Siegel proposed having someone bring in the equipment and, after he used it for a few hours in the private space, remove it. But King County Superior Court Judge Beth Andrus, ruling on the motion last week, didn’t think that was a good idea. Other inmates can’t have the equipment and access he seeks, and there seemed no good reason to make him the exception. Having his own phone and laptop would also create security problems, she said, rejecting his request. Siegel has stand-by counsel–public defenders–who can provide the office support he needs, she noted.The 40-year-old attorney has been in jail since March 10 after he appeared before Judge Kondo on a domestic-harassment charge. City prosecutors claimed he slugged his ex-wife, and said he didn’t fear prosecution by Seattle’s city attorney, vowing to “eat him for breakfast.” Given a court hearing date, Siegel told Kondo he wouldn’t appear. Kondo then raised his bail. Siegel attempted to leave the courtroom without posting the bail, but was taken into custody and had his bail raised again, to $75,000.A bondsman paid the bail and then walked with Siegel to the nearby offices of All City Bail Bonds to complete the paperwork. During a discussion with the bondsman, Siegel said of the judge, “I’m going to kill her tonight.” He also refused to sign any paperwork and began to leave. The bondsman and another employee detained Siegel until police arrived. He was jailed, his bond on the domestic-violence charge revoked, and a new bail amount–$1.5 million–set in superior court. He’s charged with felony harassment of the judge, as well as witness tampering and other charges springing from the domestic-violence case. He is also the respondent in a civil anti-harassment case, in which an employee of an apartment-management company alleges Siegel demanded sex from her. She also claims the attorney has a “hit list” with her name on it.Follow The Daily Weekly on Facebook and Twitter.