Parsons, Buck Get 4 Months for Perjury

Former South Carolina women’s basketball Coach Pam Parsons and ex-player Tina Buck were sentenced to four months in prison Wednesday for lying to a federal jury during a libel trial.

U.S. District Judge Clyde Hamilton actually sentenced the pair to three years but suspended all but four months. They will be on probation for five years.

The perjury charges stemmed from Parsons’ unsuccessful $75-million libel suit against Time Inc. The former coach sued after a February 1982 Sports Illustrated article depicted her as a lesbian involved in a love affair with Buck.

Hamilton ordered a perjury investigation after conflicting testimony during the nine-day trial last May. Parsons and Buck pleaded guilty to perjury charges in November, admitting they lied during the trial about frequenting a Salt Lake City lesbian nightclub.