Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Hinton Requests Move

4/14/2007

Hinton requests move

Vic Vela
The Daily Record

The Royal Gorge Academy co-director who faces misdemeanor assault and false imprisonment charges has requested his bond be modified to allow for a move out of state.
Randall Hinton of Cañon City, 32, appeared Friday in Judge Norman Cooling’s Fremont County courtroom, alongside his attorney Michael Gillick. A motion was filed by Gillick to allow for Hinton to relocate to Utah, where he has lived before.

The hearing was continued to allow Deputy District Attorney Thom LeDoux time to consider the defense motion.

“There are seven to eight victims in this case,” he said. “I need a chance to digest this.”

Hinton is facing seven counts of third-degree assault, a Class I misdemeanor, and two counts of false imprisonment, a Class II misdemeanor following in connection with a January Cañon City Police Department investigation into allegations that Hinton was abusive toward students at the private boarding school.

The Academy was opened by Hinton and co-director Brian Lemons in the spring of 2006. The school houses boys and girls, ages 13-17, who have been sent to the school for various issues, including behavioral and academic problems.

A felony false imprisonment count against Hinton was dropped by the District Attorney’s Office in March.

The current misdemeanor charges carry with them potential jail time of two years for third-degree assault and one year for false imprisonment, for each count.

Hinton is scheduled to appear in county court again at 11 a.m. April 30 for the hearing.

He remains free on a $2,500 bond.