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In Focus: Wilkes-Barre woman camps in rain to shed sunshine on Pennsylvania budget issues

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Official: Prison chief, 11 others put on leave after escapes

<p>By Roger DuPuis</p><p>rdupuis@www.timesleader.com</p><br><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Kuniskas </div></div><div class="neFile"><img src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/web1_darsky2.jpg">
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<p>A Jenkins Township man has been paroled after serving his six-month minimum sentence in the 2013 Mother&#8217;s Day crash death of a woman outside her Westminster Drive home.</p><p>John Michael Kuniskas, 38, pleaded guilty in December to involuntary manslaughter and attempted evidence tampering, on the same day a jury was scheduled to be selected for his trial.</p><p>Kuniskas could have faced three to six years in state prison if a jury convicted him in the vehicular homicide death of Jean Darsky, 65.</p><p>Luzerne County Judge Joseph F. Sklarosky Jr. sentenced Kuniskas to serve six months to a year in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility, followed by three years&#8217; probation. Kuniskas also was granted work release, allowing him to maintain employment while he served his sentence, which began Dec. 27.</p><p>Sklarosky on Monday signed an order granting Kuniskas immediate parole upon completion of his minimum sentence.</p><p>Prosecutors alleged that Kuniskas was texting when he struck Darsky, who was pronounced dead at the scene.</p><p>Under the plea deal, prosecutors withdrew charges of homicide by vehicle, accidents involving death, texting while driving and three vehicle summary violations against Kuniskas.</p><p>A civil wrongful death lawsuit filed against Kuniskas settled out-of-court with his insurance carrier, Erie Insurance Exchange, in January 2014 for $1.3 million. Under the settlement, Darsky&#8217;s estate was to receive $844,606 with $462,392 going to the law firm Fellerman &amp; Ciarimboli.</p><br>Roger DuPuis may be reached at 570-991-6113 or on Twitter @rogerdupuis2.

John Kuniskas paroled in crash death of Jean Darsky