But now I'm tending toward terrorists rather than mafia. If it were mafia, this guy would be dead and their man would be moved into his place.
The reason the terrorists are trying to scare him is because they CAN'T replace him. I think it is telling that he hasn't given his final ruling yet, also. Whatever tests he was waiting on have to be back by now. He's apparently holding off in hopes the authorities can catch these guys before he issues the ruling and they kill him. I don't know how much longer he can stall.
The other possibility is that he's being terrorized to remind him NOT to issue a ruling. Without a ruling, none of the people in jail or out on bond can be charged with murder. If the terrorists can keep him from ruling until after they get these guys out of the country, they're home free.
Now that I think about it, the second possibility makes more sense to me.