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"It's been in and out of court for six years.Now, for a second time, Susan Lukjan has been found guilty of setting fire to her business in 2006.But the St. Matthews business owner may escape jail time this time around.This trial lasted 2\u00BD weeks, and Friday, everyone from the defense to the prosecution was exhausted and emotional. But a plea deal at her sentencing could spare Lukjan from going back to prison for a second time.\"The defendant has to waive all rights to appeal,\" said assistant commonwealth's attorney Leland Hulbert. \"The sentence will be 15 years for arson.\"Lukjan will also face five years each on two insurance fraud charges.She has already served six months in prison on her previous conviction, which was overturned.This time around, Hulbert recommended probation, and the defense agreed to the terms.\"This was never a case of being vindictive. We were not out to get her. Besides this awful incident, she has a clean criminal record. That is why we recommended probation,\" said Hulbert.Thursday night, Lukjan's family consoled her after a jury convicted her on all counts following seven hours of deliberations. In her first trial two years ago, the jury deliberated for only two hours, but in the end, they both came to the same conclusion -- guilty.\"(It's about) who plays the best cards and who out-deceived the other, but it's nothing but deception,\" Lukjan said after the verdict Thursday.Despite her emotion after the verdict Thursday, Lukjan's attorney, Thomas Clay, said the jury did it's job.\"I believe the jury listened. They took a long time and they came up with their verdict. I disagree with them, but I respect their decision,\" said Clay. \"She's just trying to get a grip on things. She's devastated.\"With the guilty verdict, Lukjan will also lose her possible $550,000 insurance claim she hoped to collect in a civil suit. The money was an alleged motive for the crime.\"The civil suit will die on the vine because this conviction eliminates any claim she has on the insurance,\" said Clay.But family members, including her mother, seem to think Lukjan will bounce back.Official sentencing by Judge Frederick Cowan was scheduled for Aug. 7, but that is actually Lukjan's birthday, so they moved it up one day to Aug. 6.Lukjan actually faced up to 20 years in prison. The defense said they took the deal because they didn't want to risk being denied probation later on.\u00A0"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.wlky.com/article/lukjan-takes-plea-at-sentencing-3/3744144>