Richard Parsons won his request to be released from prison after pleading guilty to reckless homicide charges.
Clark Circuit Judge Julia Hylton Adams issued her ruling late Friday afternoon, sentencing Parsons to five years probation in place of two years in prison. Adams said in court Thursday morning she believed probation could be more effective for Parsons following his release, rather than relying on the Department of Corrections, through strict conditions of his probation.
The conditions listed included completing an alcohol drivers education course and continuing both substance abuse and mental health treatment. He was also ordered to maintain employment, not to possess a firearm and report to probation officers and comply with the officer's directions.
Parsons, 51, was the driver in a single-vehicle accident that killed his passenger, Dwayne Laliberte, on Jan. 18, 2007 on Kentucky 627 near Hall's on the River. Laliberte, who was not wearing a seat belt, was killed at the scene. Parsons was injured in the crash when his car went over a 70-foot embankment.
