Robert “Joe” Halderman, a former CBS employee who was indicted Oct. 2, was accused of extorting Letterman after he threatened to publish a book and screenplay about the talk show host’s office affairs if he didn’t pay him a specified amount of money.

Halderman is scheduled to appear before a judge for a motions hearing next Tuesday morning.

Letterman is not expected to appear at the hearing as plaintiffs rarely have to be present at motions hearings. Halderman, however, is ordered to appear.

In a motions situation, an attorney makes a request to the appointed judge to make a ruling on a specific issue, which generally results in various court appearances.

When a person is charged with extortion it is considered a felony crime and is punishable by law. Penalties for such a crime can range from jail time to heavy fines, depending on the nature of the case.

To learn more about extortion, blackmail and related crimes, visit USLaw.com and the New York State Citizen Guide.