Mike Bivins, the unrepentant ex-reporter convicted of a string of Portland hate crimes , received mercy from the religious communities he targeted with a punishment that will set him free in a matter of months.

Bivins is expected to serve eight more months in state prison, followed by four years of supervised probation, prosecutors revealed Thursday in front of a packed courtroom.

On paper, Bivins was sentenced to five years behind bars and five years of probation, but that is before credit for time served and good behavior, as well as four months of transitional leave, are factored in.

That is far less than nine years in custody, the maximum punishment allowed by law, but prosecutors said the punishment respected the wishes of congregants and offered the best chance of rehabilitation

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