A Manhattan Supreme Court Judge has granted the former Tyco International Ltd chief executive Dennis Kozlowski another chance of parole, by reversing a previous decision denying him the chance of bail.
The 66-year-old is currently serving eight to 25 years in New York’s minimum-security Lincoln Correctional Facility after being convicted in June 2005 of securities fraud, grand larceny and falsifying business records.
In April 2012, the Parole Board denied bail due to “concern for the public safety and welfare” but he issued a challenged the board’s ruling in October, calling for his parole application to be granted or a new hearing scheduled.
The latest Court decision in New York now allows Mr Kozlowski a chance at parole after just less than eight years in jail.
State Supreme Court Justice Carole Huff called, in a ruling dated February 5, for the original decision to be annulled and sent it back to the parole board.
The judge stated other factors beyond merely the original crime, including Mr Kozlowski’s institutional record – something which saw previous court documentation outline him as a “model inmate” – must be taken into account.
Justice Huff called the original decision “an unauthorized re-sentencing” and stated no factors or reasons had been given “in detail” to show how Mr Kozlowski’s release would undermine public safety.
Mr Kozlowski currently participates in a work release programme, spending five days a week as an office clerk for a computer software company and only two nights per week in prison.
