A judge has ordered a political activist to undergo mental health counseling months after he posted a controversial video about a Homestead Councilwoman on YouTube.

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Flora Seff barred Patrick A. Pascuzzo from having any contact with Councilwoman Judy Waldman. Waldman can renew the restraining order after Jan. 7, 2010.

In May, Pascuzzo had posted a four-minute video on YouTube that showed a blond woman putting a gun to her head. Pascuzzo posted the clip under the ``satire'' section and later said the video criticized Waldman. But the councilwoman interpreted it as a death threat. He later removed the video and admitted his role to the news media.

The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, which had been investigating the video along with the Homestead Police Department, has closed the case, said spokesman Ed Griffith.

Pascuzzo has not been charged with a crime.

In a Saturday e-mail, he lamented the loss of his free speech against an election fraud conspiracy that he says Waldman is part of -- but she denies.

``The result of my personal crusade against this conspiracy has been the loss of my First Amendment rights by Judge Flora Seff, who believed Councilwoman Waldman's assertions that I send her harassing e-mails,'' he wrote.

Under the domestic violence injunction Seff issued on July 29, Pascuzzo cannot be within 500 feet of Waldman's home, real estate office or Homestead City Hall. He cannot write, e-mail, call, blog or post any videos about Waldman.

And he must report to the county's Advocate Program for mental health counseling and evaluation.

Seff previously granted Waldman a temporary restraining order that expired last month.

On Saturday, Pascuzzo sent an e-mail alleging that Waldman is involved in an election fraud conspiracy. The e-mail was addressed to the media, law enforcement, county commissioners Dennis Moss and Katy Sorenson, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI.

He wrote, ``I believe Councilwoman Waldman conspired with others including the leaders of the city of Homestead Human Relations Board, past elected officials, persons who are challenging their seats and others who would like to falsely condemn the city of Homestead and its current elected officials under the guise of the Homestead City Council discriminating against Homestead's ethnically diverse population.''

Pascuzzo suggested that Waldman and others would use the flag dispute as an issue against other incumbents during the November elections.

He was referring to the ongoing dispute over the one-time appearance of the Confederate battle flag at last November's Veterans' Day Parade, when the Sons of Confederate Veterans marched with the flag.

The flag's appearance has divided the community. Some people see the battle flag as a source of Southern pride. Others see it as a symbol of hate and racism.

Tensions escalated in April after the City Council disbanded the Homestead/Florida City Human Relations Board in favor of a new community relations board and new members. The former board had advised city leaders to ban the flag. Homestead leaders have said they have no control over who participates in the parade, which is not a city-sponsored event.

Currently, the Justice Department and the Miami-Dade Community Relations Board are mediating the flag dispute among the city of Homestead, the Miami-Dade chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Homestead/Florida City Chamber of Commerce military affairs committee, which organizes the parade.

In an interview Tuesday, Waldman said she is not part of an election fraud conspiracy and denied any wrongdoing.

``I don't know what he's talking about. He's a sick man,'' she said.

As for the latest restraining order, the councilwoman said it was a positive development in a stressful ordeal.

``I'm very happy the judge listened, was aware of Pascuzzo's statements at the hearing and acted accordingly,'' Waldman said.

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