In a complicated legal case, a 24-year-old Lawrence man serving a sentence for a series of armed robberies in Lawrence and Topeka in 2007 will be released on probation.

Mario O. Jordan, 24, pleaded guilty in 2008 in connection with armed robberies at several Lawrence convenience stores. Jordan was sentenced to 59 months in prison.

However, in 2011 Jordan’s convictions were set aside after an appeal ruling that he received ineffective assistance of counsel.

Earlier this year, Jordan pleaded no contest to the three robbery charges.

In a 2007 Shawnee County case, Jordan had previously been sentenced to 55 months in prison, also for robbery.

During the years of legal maneuvering, Jordan had spent about five years in custody on the charges from the two counties. Douglas County District Judge Sally Pokorny on Thursday departed from sentencing guidelines and ruled that Jordan should serve three years probation after accounting for the time he’s already spent in prison.

A co-defendant, Javier Cox, 18, has since pleaded guilty to his role in the case and received probation.