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Randall Hinton: School director
gets 25 days in assault case
November 20, 2007
By Tracy Harmon
CANON CITY - A former Royal Gorge
Academy director convicted of assault and false imprisonment of two
students was sentenced Monday to 25 days in jail and one year on
probation.
Randall Hinton, 34, was convicted
by a jury Aug. 31 of third-degree assault and false imprisonment.
Hinton was found not guilty of four
other assault charges and not guilty on one other false imprisonment
charge.
The victims on the convictions,
both boys, were attending the private, co-ed school for troubled
youth during the past year. One boy sustained a bloody nose, while
the other experienced vomiting while being detained in Hinton's
office.
"In reading the presentence
investigative report I noticed the defendant's lack of any
accountability. Discipline is a necessary part of dealing with
troubled youth but the defendant had crossed the line and the
actions of the defendant were not justified or allowable," argued
Deputy District Attorney Thom LeDoux.
When asked by the probation officer
what he believed the impact was on the victims, Hinton responded, "I
believe they finally realize the importance of their choices and
realize if they don't change their ways they will have adults making
choices for them," LeDoux read from the report.
When asked what he believed the
impact of his crime on the community was, Hinton said he believed
parts of the community gained from the incident such as, "the
newspaper probably sold more copies."
Fremont County Court Judge Norm
Cooling said he found Hinton's answer puzzling and told the
defendant "You kind of gave Canon City a black eye."
LeDoux said of Hinton: "He could
not have demonstrated he missed the point more so. He said, ‘I,
Randall Hinton, believe I did a great job considering all the
circumstances involved.’ The defendant should be held accountable
and sentenced to a period of incarceration."
Defense Attorney Michael Gillick
argued that Hinton has only been consistent with his story
throughout the incident. He said Hinton is not a candidate for jail
because of his stellar record, and the fact that he is sole provider
for his family of four small children and wife, Joy.
Gillick also said Hinton has made
it clear he never wants to work with troubled children again and has
a job due to start Friday in Cortez as the manager of an automotive
company.
Hinton told the judge only that,
"It's been very educational," just before he was sentenced.
Cooling said, "The black eye is
where you really stepped over the line and I believe this calls for
a good balance - some jail as a condition of probation is entirely
appropriate." Cooling said he could have sentenced Hinton to between
a nine-month to three-year jail sentence, but he opted for 25 days
jail and one year probation.
Gillick asked for a short stay of
the sentence to allow Hinton time to consider whether he will appeal
the case. Hinton was ordered to start the jail sentence Jan. 1.
LeDoux said he will file a request
for restitution including cost of prosecution. Both attorneys were
given 20 days to file the request and a response.
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