A federal judge in Anchorage has deferred sentencing for a Pennsylvania father and son who pleaded guilty to telephone harassment of Sarah Palin's Alaska lawyers.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Burgess on Monday ordered a full psychological evaluation to be conducted on Shawn Christy at a federal corrections hospital. There are two such hospitals, one in Minnesota and one in Missouri. It will be up to the Bureau of Prisons to select one.
Burgess deferred sentencing for Shawn Christy's father, Craig Christy, until the man's lawyer can contact the mental health expert who conducted an earlier evaluation of that defendant.
In December, Burgess rejected binding plea deals that would have allowed the McAdoo, Pa., men to avoid jail time. Burgess denied a motion by the Christys in January to reassign the case to another judge. The only options for the pair were to plead guilty or go to trial.
Prosecutors say the Christys were upset about state restraining orders issued on behalf of former Alaska Gov. Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate.
