A man accused of killing a Lexington man and leaving him in a park was on probation, which should have been revoked when he pleaded guilty to a marijuana charge last month, his criminal record shows. He remained in jail. The records indicate he was on probation for a cocaine conviction last year and should have been jailed after pleading guilty to the marijuana charge March 22. However, court officials said they didn't realize Chenault was on probation at the time.
State law requires judges to first consider probation as punishment instead of prison.
But once criminals are on probation, in many cases, they're essentially left unwatched, Fayette County Commonwealth's Attorney Ray Larson said. The idea that a criminal on probation could return to court for another conviction, without anyone knowing of his legal status, is alarming, Larson said. As a result of this problem, we now have a tragedy. Chenault pleaded guilty July 14 in Fayette Circuit Court to felony cocaine possession. Judge Laurance VanMeter sentenced Chenault to three years in prison.