American Idol’s Laine Hardy seeks second chance through pretrial program

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Louisiana’s Laine Hardy may be singing a different note now that his legal trouble could be behind him. The French Settlement native could see his criminal charges in East Baton Rouge Parish wiped from his record as long as he meets certain conditions of a pre-trial program through the District Attorney’s Office.

Hardy entered the program at the beginning of March. While the specific conditions tied to Hardy’s case are kept private, East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore says, generally, people who go through the program satisfy the court by enrolling in targeted behavior management courses and/or completing community service.

RELATED: American Idol winner Laine Hardy accused of putting listening device in ex-girlfriend’s dorm room at LSU

Laine Hardy was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on a charge of intercepting communications. He was later released on his own recognizance.

Moore says the program can be a second chance for non-violent offenders. The program introduces offenders to tools that allow them to handle situations better in the future.

“Anyone that is available for this program, we’re going to consider. I don’t care who you are or what you are. I mean we have to be fair to everyone, regardless of their position in life, and that’s what we try to do,” he explained.

Louisiana State University (LSU) Police issued a warrant for Hardy in April of 2022. The singer’s ex-girlfriend told campus police she found a recording device under a futon inside of her dorm room at Azalea Hall.

The Louisiana State University Police Department issued a warrant for Laine Hardy, an American Idol winner and Louisiana native.

A legal analyst tells the 9News Investigators it’s unlikely Laine Hardy will spend any significant time in jail after being arrested.

The woman told police she suspected Hardy bugged her room because he was able to reference conversations she had that he was not present for. Police said the device contained secret recordings made over ten days in February of 2022.

Police took Hardy to East Baton Rouge Parish Prison where his mugshot was taken. He was later released on his own recognizance, meaning he was not ordered to post bail.

The American Idol winner put Louisiana on the national stage and soared to superstar status when he competed in and won the competition’s 17th season.

Hardy performed in an episode of the show’s current season which aired earlier this month.

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