Agree with you on the 2 year over/under. As far as the paperwork, that was 100% on the DA. They should have JUMPED at the chance to get little Johnny timely served. It's exceedingly rare that someone is sentenced to probation, but that the sentence is stayed pending appeal, so it's not out of the realm, possibility-wise, that no one was tracking that at the DA's.
    Some of the posters here think that there was some back-room deal, based on Bowlen's money, they are dead-a$$ wrong. Maybe a lesser attorney wouldn't have raised the timely service argument - which is probably correct. Fact is, whether a matter is in small-claims, or if you are trying to stay an prisoner's execution, all parties have to be served. And the party prosecuting the claim (civil or criminal) has the obligation to serve the other party. These exact same posters would be beside themselves had they lost a lawsuit that they didn't know they were even involved in if they weren't ever served notice of the lawsuit.