Lynn felon withdraws guilty plea

SALEM – Karl Lamont Hackney, the 45-year-old Lynn man who escaped from Salem District Court in December, pleaded guilty Thursday afternoon but when told by a Superior Court judge that he would receive a seven-to-eight year state prison term, he withdrew his plea.”I wanted to be with my family and that was the reason for my actions,” Hackney told Judge John T. Lu.Hackney, who said he has worked as a truck driver and shipper and receiver, decided to plead guilty to the charge of escape with the condition that if the judge imposed a harsh sentence, he could withdraw.That occurred when Lu informed Hackney at the end of the hearing that he would impose a “lengthy” punishment because Hackney seemed to be on a “path of destruction.”Assistant District Attorney Kristen R. Buxton said Hackney “has proven to be a menace to the community who has earned no realistic belief he can be rehabilitated,” as she asked Lu to impose 9-to-10-years on the escape charge.Buxton pointed out to Lu that Hackney, who is a Level 3 sex offender, had served a 15-year sentence in 1985 out of Connecticut for raping a 15-year-old girl and kidnapping and raping a woman.Then in 1997 he began his career in Massachusetts, Buxton said, while adding that this is his 31st case in Massachusetts. He is now serving a two-year jail punishment for striking his probation officer, Jeff January, last September in Salem Superior Court as he was leaving the courtroom following a bail hearing, she said.”He deserves the maximum,” emphasized Buxton.On Dec. 6, 2010 as Hackney was being led from the lower level upstairs to the upper level along with other fellow inmates in Salem District Court, he bolted from the court in handcuffs. He was recaptured about an hour later after police located him on Hawthorne Boulevard hiding crouched down behind a trash barrel.Defense lawyer Christopher Norris asked Lu to impose a three-year sentence, explaining that his recommendation fell above the guide range. He said his client was pleading guilty and willing to take responsibility.Norris reminded Lu that no one was hurt during the escape, no hostage situation and no homes were invaded and when Hackney was arrested he was somewhat cooperative, but the judge was not persuaded.Hackney has other firearm and assault charges still pending in Superior Court. His next scheduled appearance is for April 4 on all his cases. In the meantime, he remains held at the Middleton Jail where he is serving a two-year sentence for striking his probation officer in open court.