SPRINGFIELD - A Hampden Superior Court judge said Wednesday he did not see the need for Cathy Luong to be incarcerated.

Judge John S. Ferrara - saying Luong's marijuana growing endeavor was a "substantial operation for her first foray into criminal conduct" - rejected an agreement between defense and prosecution that Luong go to jail for six months and gave her two years' probation instead.

When a gas leak emergency Dec. 11, 2011, resulted in workers and police entering Luong’s $400,000 residence at 293 Longhill St., police found a large scale, sophisticated, hydroponic marijuana-growing operation. Police then got a warrant based on what they saw and collected evidence.

Luong, 45, pleaded guilty May 31 to possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. The sentencing was held Wednesday.

In reaching the plea agreement rejected by Ferrara, the state had dropped a charge of violation of a drug free school zone, with its mandatory two-year sentence, and possession of a large capacity firing device.

The gun had been found in a drawer in her nightstand.

Assistant District Attorney Matthew W. Green and defense lawyer Thomas Lesser had agreed to ask Ferrara to sentence Luong to one year in the Western Massachusetts Regional Women’s Correctional Center in Chicopee with six months to be served and the rest suspended with two years' probation.

Green argued the plants and growing operation were worth close to $1 million. He said the jail time was recommended for Luong based on the need to treat all defendants fairly but taking into account her lack of criminal record.

He said gun violence has become a concern for Forest Park, and Luong had bought the gun and brought it to the house.

Ferrara said he didn’t think the state and defense agreed recommendation was unreasonable, but said Luong was not actively selling marijuana to customers out of her house and was instead selling exclusively to a buyer from New York.

He said when Luong was in dire financial straits, needing funds for her daughter, “an opportunity came along she should have certainly eschewed”- having someone set her up in the marijuana-growing business and agree to purchase all she grew.

Ferrara said Luong was contrite and embarrassed and other than the marijuana growing had been a model citizen.

He said other than buying the gun and transporting it to her home, there was no evidence it was ever taken out of the home.