DENVER -- A Denver judge accepted the plea bargain of Lisl Auman Monday.

Auman, 29, spent nearly eight years in prison for the murder of a Denver police officer. In November 1997, Auman arranged a burglary that led to the shooting of Denver police officer Bruce VanderJagt. She was in handcuffs and in the back of a patrol car when VanderJagt was killed but prosecutors convicted her of burglary and felony murder and she was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

That sentence drew some criticism from people who thought it was too harsh. In March of this year, the Colorado Supreme Court threw her conviction out because of bad jury instructions.

Instead of a new trial, Auman agreed to a plea deal. Auman pleaded guilty to a burglary and accessory charge and will serve 20 years in a community corrections program in Denver, including six months at Tooley Hall halfway house, with credit given for the nearly eight years she's already served in prison.

VanderJagt's widow wrote a letter last week supporting the plea arrangement.

Auman expressed gratitude to VanderJagt, and said that without her support she probably wouldn't have got out of jail. She also acknowledged she played a role in the shooting and caused pain for his family.

"I never, ever intended for anyone to be hurt or killed, but regretfully that's what happened," Auman said. "I will shoulder this burden for the rest of my life."

"By taking responsibility, I hope I can encourage the slow, arduous process of healing," she said.

Anna VanderJagt, sitting a few feet for Auman, also spoke at the hearing and said she misses her husband.

"I had to accept many unpleasant realities. One of the most difficult is that Haley has to grow up without the love and guidance of her father," VanderJagt said as tears came to Auman's eyes. "The only consolation is she now has her very own guardian angel who watches over her and keeps her out of harm's way."

District Judge Christina Habas said she understood that neither Auman nor the VanderJagt family wanted to go through the "horror" of another trial. She declined to order Auman to perform community service or meet with Anna VanderJagt, but encouraged Auman to do both.

After the hearing, VanderJagt said she would not pursue a meeting with Auman, but wouldn't necessarily refuse if Auman asked.

"It's hard to know, when a person is reading something they've written ... how much they honestly believe what they're saying and how sincere they are," she said. "I will always carry Bruce's death deep inside, but that can't be the focus."

VanderJagt said her decision to support Auman's new sentence came about two months ago, when she was preparing for an unspecified surgical procedure.

"Compared with other issues I was dealing with, I said at certain times you have to have a change of heart," she said. "I wanted to go into that surgery with my mind set in a certain way: If it came to a plea bargain I would be OK with it, would accept it."

VanderJagt has remarried and now lives in Albuquerque, N.M. She said in a July 29 letter to the Community Corrections board she supported the proposed sentence because it appeared Auman was taking responsibility for her husband's death.

"I believe acceptance is a large part of healing and I'm determined to heal and move forward," VanderJagt told the judge Monday.

Prosecutor Timothy Twining, who led the original case against Auman, said the district attorney's office always will discuss a plea bargain with defendants who accept responsibility for their crimes. Until this year, he said, Auman did not.

The fatal shooting happened after Auman recruited Mattheus Jaehnig to help her break into a former boyfriend's house to retrieve some of her belongings. Officers chased the two to a Denver condominium complex, where Jaehnig killed VanderJagt and then killed himself.

At the time of the shooting, Auman was in police custody. Asked if Jaehnig was armed, she said, "I don't know what you're talking about," according to court documents.

Under Colorado's felony murder law, anybody involved in certain felonies is guilty of murder if someone is killed during the crime or during the flight from it.

Auman's case caught the nation's attention after celebrities including Hunter S. Thompson and Warren Zevon rallied for her freedom. They and other supporters questioned the fairness of the felony murder law, which has withstood challenges in Colorado and other states.

With the plea deal approved, Auman will have to spend at least six months at the Tooley Hall halfway house before she can try to earn the right to live on her own by regularly reporting to counselors and authorities, officials said. Her sentence could be reduced based on her performance in the rehabilitation program, city officials said.