Original sentence: Superior Court Judge Bob Krug ordered a new parole hearing,  Krug's ruling for Van Houten was overturned on appeal in 2004
Edited sentence: " Krug pointed out that at the 1977 retrial, Van Houten was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole, but having served eight years in prison, she was already eligible for parole by 1978.Krug's ruling for Van Houten was overturned on appeal in 2004.Other than the finding as to the gravity of the offense, there is a complete lack of any evidence to support the decision of the board.She has earned two college degrees and has maintained a clean disciplinary record in prison [and] she is effectively serving a life sentence without parole, a sentence unauthorized by law.Superior Court Judge Bob Krug ordered a new parole hearing, He noted that Van Houten's continued incarceration involved serious legal considerations, and stated she "has proven to be a model prisoner in the 30 years since her incarceration for the brutal murder, completing all available prison programs and assisting other inmates with these programs.The board failed to make a finding that [Van Houten's] institutional behavior was a factor tending to show her suitability for parole.To fail to do so is an arbitrary and capricious consideration