Outrageous!

**lewisipso** · 01-13-08, 02:57 PM

By Associated Press | December 28, 2006
NEWBURYPORT -- The prison sentence of a man convicted of taking a family hostage in their home following a bank robbery and high-speed chase in 1998 was reduced yesterday after a judge ruled that the defendant had been sentenced under an outdated law
Judge Nancy Staffier-Holtz reduced Chad Austin's sentence for armed home invasion, kidnapping, and other charges, from 30-40 years to 19-20 years in state prison, First Assistant District Attorney Jack Dawley said.
Austin was arrested in February 1998 after robbing a bank in Portsmouth, N.H., exchanging gunfire with police during a high-speed chase into Massachusetts, and then taking Paul Hardy and Hardy's twin 4-year-old sons hostage at gunpoint in Salem. The four-hour standoff was televised nationally.
Hardy persuaded Austin to release the boys, Kevin and Kyle. Kevin ran to police, but Kyle refused to leave his father. Hardy pushed the boy out of the garage and shut the door, but Kyle tried to pull the door open and then pounded on it before police rushed in to pull him to safety.
Later, Hardy, angered because Austin was sitting in his favorite chair and watching television, lunged at the intruder, and the two wrestled over the gun, which discharged twice. (I wonder if this idiot reporter actually believes this is the reason Hardy attacked the suspect) Hardy escaped through a window just before police tossed a concussion grenade into the living room and stormed the house, shooting Austin in the leg. Hardy was unhurt.
Austin, now 33, also was convicted in 1999 of federal bank robbery charges and sentenced to 10 years to be served at the conclusion of his state sentence.
Austin asked a judge in October to be resentenced, arguing that the original sentence was illegal because on the day he was convicted, state law changed, capping the penalty for home invasion at 20 years.
Staffier-Holtz then ruled that Austin would be resentenced on all the state charges. Austin has already served more than eight years in prison.
A message left for his lawyer was not returned.

My wife and I are watching this on Dark Heart/Iron Hand NSNBC.
It happened in 1998. The suspect robbed a bank in New Hampshire and led police on a chase into Massachusetts shooting at them while fleeing. Once there he wrecked his car and invaded the house of a Paul Hardy. What is not even mentioned in the articles that I have found is that Hardy is a Sheriff's deputy.
Due to a technicality in sentencing the suspect is now in line to receive a reduced sentence.
This is gross miscarriage of justice and only serves as a reminder that the liberal justice system is geared ever more toward the criminal.
Hardy is a corrections officer and a public servant. To have his home invaded which has surely tramatized him and his family is atrocious and seeing the way the trial play out was even worse. Numerous counts of attempted murder of law enforcment officers, home invasion, kidnapping, robbery, theft, assault, etc and now receiving a reduced sentence.
Unbelievable. If you are not familiar with this case look it up. It will make you sick.

5 days of deliberation to ultimately receive 19-20 years for the Hardy portion of this incident and only 10 for the bank robbery in New Hampshire.

**conalabu** · 01-13-08, 03:02 PM

Yup. That's bullshit.

**Five-0** · 01-13-08, 08:55 PM

Don't be so harsh guys. When this guy gets out of prison I would be honored if he moved in right next to me. I'll even have him over for a BBQ to welcome him to the area. A heated argument will then break out and he will try to attack me with a plastic Taco Bell spork or some other deadly weapon at which point I will have no choice but to double tap his T box. Man I hope his house won't take to long to sell. I really hate living next to an empty house.

**mavriktu** · 01-14-08, 03:14 AM