Hinton requests move
April 14, 2007
By Vice Vela
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.
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