Breaking News" [Ted] Maher Convicted = Ten Years

ABC News | December 2, 2002

[Rodney King]

It's just cruel to question anyone who killed two people. I mean, Ted Maher and OJ have been subjected to such terrible cruelty at FR. Hell, they both said they didn't do it. Oh wait, Ted said he did.

[bonfire]

If his brother is innocent I would think he would want the whole truth to come out. Unless............

[Chancellor Palpatine]

OJ sees the real killer every time he plays golf - when he looks into his reflection in a water hazard.

[habs4ever]

Why do you want him paroled? Two productive people are dead because of Ted.Maher's family is in turmoil, God knows what sort of strain the wife and children are under, and you would rather save your sympathy for him than Safra and the female nurse?

[habs4ever]

He doesn't want to face the reality that his brother is a killer.Who would?But just because he can't face it doesn't mean others shouldn't call Ted Maher the killer he certainly is.

[Jalapeno]

I'm sure he's willing to explain himself. He does not hide.

[Jalapeno]

Sorry for the criptic reference, see #240

[job]

You are right about one thing, I have an emotional attachment to the case b/c I think he was set up. But that is not enough before a judge in the US, much less MCO.

There are reasons, I believe factually undisputed reasons that TM should not have been convicted:

1. Suspect confession. Written in french, no video or audio tape, signed days (not hours) after the event, signed after TM's wife was detained, the particular language shows that it was not transcribed from an upstate NY native (written in common parlance used by french).

2. Cause of death. This is one that really bothers me. To convict TM of anything, they needed to prove he started the fire that enveloped the villa. To convict him of Safra's death, they would have to demonstrate Safra died from the fire TM started. Problem is, Safra's body was cremated before TM's defense could conduct an indepenant autopsy. Safra, and his nurse's bodies were key pieces of evidence. If they died of something else, say blow to the head or bullet, TM would have been exculpated. But the evidence was destroyed. Essentially, TM never got to subject that evidence to cross examination. It was needlessly
destroyed, the bodies could have been cremated later.

Independant reports, even MCO reports, showed that the fire in the basement caused the conflagration. So, I don't think there was ever any evidence that the wastepaper basket set the entire house on fire.

3. 3 year detention without trial. In the states, this would have been thrown out on speedy trial defense.

4. Security team is sent home on same night, security alarm disconnected.

5. Safra made calls from safe closet, they knew where he was, yet MCO police impeded his rescue, actually detaining his own security personnel.

6. TM's cuts, in all the detractors, never describe them. From the description of the cuts, one they were too severe to be self inflicted, not the carefully planned superficial cuts claimed. Second, they were the wrong hand (TM is right handed, the cuts (meaning angle and traverse of the body) would not, and in some cases, could not have come from right hand person.

7. TM's wife is kidnapped.

Those are some of the reasons why I think he is innocent. I have not, and do not, support any other jailed person or cause.

[drjimmy]

I'm not sure why you are hung up on Maher's earlier confession not being taped. Last week Ted Maher testified in open court that he was the one who set the fire. From the Associated Press article:
An American nurse who has confessed to setting a blaze that killed his billionaire employer said in a Monaco court Friday that he never expected the fire to rage out of control. At the second day of his trial, Ted Maher indicated the fire was part of a bizarre plan to ingratiate himself with Edmond Safra, his wealthy employer.

Maher testified that he started the fire, then stabbed himself - convinced he would emerge the hero who rushed his employer to safety while fending off attackers. Safra and Torrente suffocated in the smoke-filled bathroom where they sought refuge.

Seems pretty clear-cut to me. Unless you want to claim that because the Associated Press didn't tape record the testimony, maybe it didn't really happen.

[bonfire]

I wish he would. btw: sorry, I should have pinged him.

[Rodney King]

OK, thank you very much.

[nicmarlo]

would rather save your sympathy for him than Safra . . .

I've read enough on the 2,000+ thread to question whether Maher has done anything he is accused of doing. Safra's widow, married three times, has benefitted financial and socially, from the deaths of all three husbands. There are other things I've read which makes me wonder if we're being told the truth......yes, I believe he should be paroled, I question the legitimacy of the accusations, given the numerous oddities involved with this "case" against him.

[job]

well you still miss the point, and I guess that I cannot articulate it any other way.

It is an indictment of the procedure, and calls into question of the procedure, of securing the confession. As to his testimony on the stand, more than likely he was advised that if he went along with the confession MCO would be more lenient, but if he fought it, and recanted, they would lock him up forever. After spending 3 years in jail without a trial, I would beleive them. I would believe that they could lock me up forever if I did not play along. So, your point is it means nothing b/c of what happened later, but you are looking at the scenario in a vacuum, without considering the other effects of recanting his testimony.

We will have to disagree.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

As to his testimony on the stand, more than likely he was advised that if he went along with the confession MCO would be more lenient, but if he fought it, and recanted, they would lock him up forever. After spending 3 years in jail without a trial, I would beleive them. I would believe that they could lock me up forever if I did not play along.

ROTFLMAOPIMP.

Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahaha.

This is the stupidest, most enabling statement I've ever seen anywhere. What a flipping MORON.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

You've GOT to read #253. It should go on the "Stupid Post Wall of Shame".

[Howlin]

It's quite amazing, isn't it?

[Catspaw]

Geez, I haven't seen such convoluted dissembling since Missus Clinton went on the Today Show to talk about the "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy."

[Chancellor Palpatine]

"They might be mean to Ted, so he just confirmed what they forced him to say earlier."

Yeah. Right.

[Catspaw]

They might be mean to Ted

WWWAAAAAaaaaa, Mommy, they might be mean to me.....

I think this is going back to a quote of an infamous man: "No sense makes sense," Charlie Manson.

[Bkauthor]

In answer to both of you--an AP photographer is not an AP reporter. Ted is also conferring with one of his attorneys in this shot and no one knows just how close this cameraman was when he took the picture; they are not allowed close in so I suspect a longer lense. Ted showed up in court with marks that indicate he was beaten overnight before his last appearance in the courtroom. Those are evident on yesterday and today's photos of him, taken by a Reuters photographer covering the trial. He has not been permitted to utter a peep to the press--the consequences of this are severe--normally beatings--on return to jail. This is not the US folks--it's a country where you're guilty until proven otherwise and they treat you accordingly. There have been efforts on Ted's behalf through the State Department and his New York congressional delegation. None of these folks has been able to make their point strongly enough before the Monegasque government but I understand as of this afternoon that State made some headway that will likely end up presenting previously excluded evidence that would help him. Ted's original confession was tortured out of him and of this there is ample testimony and admittance on the part of Monegasque police. As I've noted before, by their law, you cannot retract a confession. Ted, to the laughter of the media in the courtroom, was forced to read his "confession" as the trial opened. No one from the US/Britain could fathom that they don't let someone change the plea, especially given admittance as to how it was obtained.