Men sentenced in Palin lawyer harassment case

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Two Pennsylvania men convicted of harassing Sarah Palin’s Alaska lawyers were sentenced Friday to time served and five years’ probation, with the proceedings briefly halted after a short outburst in court by one of the defendants.

During his sentencing in U.S. District Court in Anchorage, 20-year-old Shawn Christy said the judge’s order that he live up to six months in a Pennsylvania community re-entry program was “ridiculous.” 

His father, Craig Christy, 48, was ordered to perform community service.

In Friday’s sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Burgess ordered Shawn Christy to spend up to six months at the Scranton residential facility, where a bed will become available in mid-July. Christy wanted to return to his parent’s home, where he had been living until his arrest last year.

“Why can’t I go home now?” he said.

“Because I’m not letting you go home,” Burgess said, prompting Christy to ask what was the judge’s reason for imposing the order.  (Full story)