Mother refuses to consider posting bail for daughter she calls `brat'

Associated Press News ^ | 2003-05-02 | Associated Press News Staff

[friendly]

The mother of a Laguna Hills woman accused of making a high-seas terrorist threat says she wouldn't have posted bail for her daughter even if a judge had granted it. Debra Ferguson tells the Los Angeles Times she could not risk her family's financial health by posting bail for her daughter, whom she calls a ``brat.''

Twenty-year-old Kelley Ferguson is accused of planting threatening notes aboard the Legend of the Seas in an effort to get the cruise ship to return to California so she could be reunited with her boyfriend. She was ordered held without bail after a prosecutor argued she is a flight risk.

Ferguson is charged with two counts of threatening acts of terrorism, and could face as much as ten years in prison on each charge.

Debra Ferguson says her daughter ``is going to have to stay in jail and learn her lesson.''

[Not A Snowbird]

"Sounds like 'Mom' did a s#i++y job during the first 19 years."

It's easy to blame the parents when a kid goes stupid, but she had three others that seem like they turned out okay. Sometimes kids whack out no matter what the parents do. Now if the other three have jail time and didn't complete high school, well...

[Not A Snowbird]

"The fact remains, when ya own a bad dog, chances are it's the owner."

She's not a chihuahua, she's a human. There's a difference. Sometimes not much of one, sometimes, but...

[dagoofyfoot]

I'ts easy to blame the parents when a kid goes stupid


You are so right!

I have known of many large families that have great kids, but there always seems to be one that goes south for some reason or another.

The juvenile court system in California freely admits the sentences they hand out are meant to punish the juvenile and the parent, (usually financially).

I've always disagreed with this money grabbing scheme.

[SarahW]

Not excusing the "brat's" behaviour, but

Up until the last day, she seemed to be looking forward to the cruise," he said. "Then on the morning of the cruise, she said she couldn't go. I was mad. ... My only concern was having the whole family go together."

Ferguson told his daughter's boyfriend: "You make sure she goes on this trip. I don't care what you have to say to her. You make sure she goes, or you'll never see her again."

But this was a mistake. 20-year-olds should not be forced into taking family trips, or have parents controlling who their children see. No wonder she's a brat - they treat her like one.

[friendly]

bttt

[EveningStar]

THe daughter is a loser and so is the mom. Now that the daughter is in deep deep hot water, the mom is trying to distance herself from her own daughter by abandoning her in jail. How low can you get? How do you even take sides in this? They're both trash. Throw them both in jail....and the boyfriend too.

The mother did the right thing. The kid and her boyfriend are whacko.

From an L. A. Times article:

In tones that varied from bitterness to anguish, the mother said she had rejected suggestions that the family arrange bail. She said she could not "risk the rest of my family's life because of a brat" by posting bail, even if a judge would grant it.

"She's going to run ... and we're going to be left with a $25,000 debt," said the mother, 49, a nurse. "I'm not a millionaire.... She promises not to do it again — but yeah, right."

...

While [her boyfriend] was in jail, he called Ferguson collect daily, running up a $1,500 phone bill for the Fergusons, the father said.

[janetgreen]

said he couldn't live without her

She was financing him, he couldn't afford to live a week without her money, and she fell for it. Good for the Mom!!

[demosthenes the elder]

not if part of her sentence is 10 years of mandatory monthly depoprevara shots.
and, it should be. this idiot does not need to be permitted to breed until she grows up. that will take at least a decade, going by her apparent emotional maturity of @10 years.

[demosthenes the elder]

good analysis, and far too likely to be 100% correct.
this brat is LONG overdue for a trip to the woodshed.

[demosthenes the elder]

conversely: maybe she's just homely.

[demosthenes the elder]

well put.

[demosthenes the elder]

seems pretty clear that the cruise was Daddy's bag, not Mom's

[friendly]

10 years of mandatory monthly depoprevara shots.

She should not spawn.

But she will, with the first paroled jailbird who strolls into the bar.

Next stop: pregnant, ADHD child, welfare, lifelong democrat.

[friendly]

AKA, a skank.

[demosthenes the elder]

well, yes, but I try not to be coarse too regularly ;)

[Cathryn Crawford]

This reminds me of my mom, who always told me that if I did something stupid enough to get put in jail for (like, oops, not paying my speeding ticket on time) she wouldn't bail me out. Although she did make sure I knew the name and number of their lawyer.

Thank goodness I haven't had to use it...yet.

[Bonaparte]

"She was financing him..."

How many women acquire a gigolo at age 20?

[Brad’s Gramma]

I take it you don't have kids.