The son in the Sarah Palin father-and-son stalking duo has filed notice that he intends to plead guilty of making harassing phone calls to Sarah Palin and perhaps the ex-Alaska governor's relatives in August.
"Beginning on or about August 1, 2011, and continuing until at least on or about August 9, 2011, within the District of Alaska and elsewhere, the defendant Shawn Richard Christy, in interstate communications, made and caused the telephone of another repeatedly and continuously to ring, with the intent to harass a person at the called number," according to court filings.
It's unclear whether the father, Craig Christy, also intends to plead guilty.
The father and son are accused of making menacing phone calls to Alaska's former governor, her family lawyers and employees of the law firm. The names of those who received the calls have remained sealed.
Prosecutors claim the recordings of telephone calls Shawn Christy made to Palin's attorney are peppered with profanity and vows to continue the harassment.
The calls began in 2009. Palin, her father and her friend requested restraining orders against Shawn Christy, alleging he threatened them, sent a receipt for a gun purchase, and said he was buying a one-way ticket to Alaska.
The charges stem from phone calls to Palin's lawyer and his associates after restraining orders were issued against the duo.
Karen Christy, Craig Christy's wife and Shawn's mother, told The Associated Press she believes Palin had a sexting relationship with her son in 2009, and the Christys have been persecuted by the Palins law enforcement officials ever since. So far, no evidence has justified such claims.
Shawn Christy's sentencing is set for Dec. 1 in Anchorage. Christy's lawyer is asking for the court to pay for his flight to Alaska from Pennsylvania, where he lives.
Contact Amanda Coyne at amanda(at)alaskadispatch.com