|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Amy Fisher, 'Long Island Lolita,' granted parole
May 6, 1999
NEW YORK (CNN) -- A New York State parole board granted parole on Thursday for Amy Fisher, dubbed the "Long Island Lolita," who pleaded guilty to shooting her lover's wife in the head. Fisher, now 24, spent seven years in prison. She could be released as early as next week. She received a five-to-15-year prison sentence in 1992 after pleading guilty to first-degree assault for shooting Mary Jo Buttafuoco, then 37, in a jealous rage when Buttafuoco opened the door of her Long Island home. Fisher, who was 16 at the time of the shooting, said she had been involved in a relationship with the victim's husband, Joey Buttafuoco. He spent six months in jail for statutory rape as a result of the affair. The Buttafuocos moved from Long Island to Los Angeles where Joey is a cable TV talk show host. Fisher was dubbed the "Long Island Lolita" by the New York City tabloids, a reference to the Vladimir Nabokov novel about a middle-aged man's obsession with a 12-year-old girl. The case attracted national attention and was the subject of several made-for-television movies. The three-member state parole board, which refused to parole Fisher in 1997, voted 2-to-1 to release Fisher, according to a spokesperson for the state Division of Parole. Fisher went before the panel Tuesday at the Albion Correctional Facility in western New York where she's been serving out her sentence. In a statement, Fisher's mother, Rose Fisher, said she had "prayed and waited for this moment to arrive. Knowing my daughter is coming home is the best Mother's Day gift I could wish for. "I am looking forward to holding her in my arms, telling her I love her, and getting started on the rest of our lives together," Mrs. Fisher added. Fisher's lawyer, Bruce Barket, said his client will live with her mother in New York state and look for a job in the fashion industry. At a court appearance in April, Fisher apologized to Mary Jo Buttafuoco. "What happened to you -- it wasn't your husband's fault ... It wasn't my father's fault. It was my fault and I'm sorry," Fisher said. Buttafuoco, who attended the hearing, told the judge she forgave Fisher. Afterward, state Supreme Court Judge Ira Wexner threw out Fisher's 1992 guilty plea and sentenced her to a shorter prison term, clearing the way for her release, with parole board approval. Fisher had argued she was denied effective legal counsel when she initially pleaded guilty. RELATED STORIES: RELATED SITES: The Amy Fisher Organization
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Back to the top |
© 2001 Cable News Network. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines. |