Following her first court appearance in an orange jail jumpsuit and restraints, Leslie Lockhart was released Monday after Calloway Circuit Judge Andrea Moore granted her motion for shock probation. She had served 63 days of an eight-year sentence imposed in April after failing to meet the payment schedule in a plea agreement calling for $300,000 in restitution.
The agreement required Lockhart to pay $100,000 within 30 days and, within 60 days, either pay another $100,000 or list her home for sale. If the home sold, the net proceeds would be applied to restitution, with any remaining balance paid in monthly installments of $3,000. Provided Lockhart complied with the terms, the Commonwealth agreed not to oppose probation at sentencing.
But when Lockhart appeared for sentencing April 20, she had listed her home but paid only about $42,000 toward the first installment. Moore imposed the eight-year sentence and said she would not consider shock probation until the first $100,000 was paid in full.
“So, I’ll be looking for that, and I want that done when a shock motion is filed,” Moore said.
Lockhart paid the remaining $58,000 on June 8. The following day, her attorney, Jason Holland, filed a motion for shock probation on her behalf.
In court Monday, Holland, who appeared via Zoom, argued Lockhart had met the plea agreement’s terms regarding the lump-sum payments. He advised she remained gainfully employed and would be able to make the monthly payments when released.
Assistant Attorney General Richie Kemp, who was appointed to prosecute the case, advised that the Commonwealth did not oppose probating the remainder of Lockhart’s eight-year sentence but asked the court to reinstate the $3,000 monthly payments beginning Aug. 1.
Moore granted the motion and incorporated Kemp’s request into the order.
“Ms. Lockhart, I want you to focus in on trying to get that home sold, okay?” Moore said after ruling.
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