Guilty Plea entered in Legend of the Seas terror threat

[Lisa]

http://www.cnn.com/US/West/05/15/haw....ap/index.html

[mbuckellew]

Maybe it's just me, but I got an error when I tried to open this link.

Cheers,
Michelle B.


Land Cruise, Britain and Belgium

[Alaska-At-Last]

me too
error message ;0(

[Set4cruz]

Here is the story. I got the message also, but followed the address to the story.

HONOLULU, Hawaii (AP) -- A woman accused of planting threatening notes aboard a cruise ship to cut short a family vacation and return to her boyfriend pleaded guilty Thursday.

In exchange for the plea to the single federal charge, prosecutors dropped a second count against Kelley Marie Ferguson.

She was charged under the USA Patriot Act, passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, because the notes threatened to kill Americans.

Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas was temporarily diverted to waters off Honolulu on April 23 following the discovery of two threatening notes in a ladies' bathroom.

Ferguson, 20, of Laguna Hills, California, was to be released from custody as early as Thursday and placed under house arrest in her parents' custody until sentencing September 22.

Prosecutors said Ferguson is expected to give birth in several months, one reason why she is being released.

She faces a maximum 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the charge of conveying false information about an attempt to kill passengers on a vehicle of mass transportation.

But defense attorney Loretta Faymonville said she expects her client to serve no more than two years.

Faymonville said Ferguson's pregnancy "contributed to her mental state" when she wrote the notes.

"She never had the slightest idea that what she was doing would have such an impact," the lawyer said. "I can't tell you how sorry she is for what she did."

As a condition of her release, Ferguson is to have no contact with her boyfriend, who has a criminal record, her attorney said.



Post Edited (05-16-03 13:42)

[Angela Z.]

Thanks for posting the story Robin. I'll be interested to see what her sentence is.
Angela Z.

[mbuckellew]

Thanks for posting the story, Robin. That is so ridiculous. "It wasn't her fault because she was pregnant." Ugh!

Cheers,
Michelle B.


Land Cruise, Britain and Belgium

[Seahunks]

Why didn't the lawyer just claim it was a dietary problem? The girl was cuckoo for coco puffs! Or it could have a been a problem with illumination--the girl wasn't very bright.

This defense strategy amounts to an hereditary defense--her baby made her do it. What a crock!

Steve

It's kind of funny, in an ironic way, how she isn't allowed to have any contact with her boyfriend.

Since when has ignorance been a valid defense. Just because she didn't know it was going to be such a big deal doesn't make it okay.