Boat Pirate / Child Abductor Pleads No Contest

[PD Staff]

SF Chronicle reports that Christopher Maffei, 43, entered pleaded no contest Friday in San Mateo County Superior Court to charges of child abduction and possession of a stolen boat, both felonies, said District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

Maffei faces up to four years and four months in county jail when he is sentenced June 7. He remains jailed in lieu of $500,000 bail.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/...#ixzz2RDQBKzB8



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/...#ixzz2RDPnz5Bj

[IOR Geezer]

Hope he gets his act together for the kids sake.

[Sanity Check]

This story has plenty of gray area.

While mothers and boat owners may naturally tend to feel enhanced enmity towards such crime, there seems to be room to feel some sympathy for the man too.

Without meaning to exonerate the fellow from his misjudgment and shortcomings, I can imagine that the shaky economy and the high unemployment has great significance to this matter. Those were the results, in large part, of the far bigger thefts which took place in the banking world and have yet to be punished, to say the least.

At least he didn't burn up the vessel's engine and put it up on shore.