Breaking News" [Ted] Maher Convicted = Ten Years

ABC News | December 2, 2002

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Reported five minutes ago -- no ther details yet found..

[SamAdams76]

Bill Maher, the guy who did Politically Incorrect is going to jail? What did he do?

[Sungirl]

Hello?

[general_re]

Bill Maher, the guy who did Politically Incorrect is going to jail? What did he do?

Public indecency.

[job]

10, or twenty years?

[Dave S]

Who the hell is Maher? Does he have a first or last name and why should I care. If you are going to post, why dont you think of the reader? Otherwise, stick to email with your closest cadre of in-folk.

[Aggie Mama]

No, I think that this is the Maher held in Monaco for some trumped up charge. Ted Maher, I think.

[job]

If you don't care about the subject, why the hell did you follow the thread, and then post? I cannot believe the people on this forum that rant about a thread being a waste of time, yet take the time to post on it.

Absolute morons.

[Bkauthor]

It's Ted Maher, the American nurse, former Green Beret, accused (now convicted) of complicitcy in the death of billionaire banker Edmund Safra in 1999. He's been in Monaco awaiting trial for 3 years. The trial, which began before Thanksgiving, ended today with a sentence of 10 years in jail for the crime, which his supporters contend he did not do.

[alisasny]

he admitted he lit the fire so he could save Safra and become a HERO....

[SamAdams76]

Thank you. I immediately thought Bill Maher because that is the only Maher I know of.

[tracer]

TED Maher, the American ex-pat nurse who was on trial for the arson-related death of his wealthy employer in Monaco.

TED Maher, whose cause has been promoted and discussed at great length on the FR.

You must not visit here very often or forgot about this major FR topic of late......

[jude24]

Last time I checked, Monaco is considered a court of competent jurisdiction. They might not have all the niceties of due process that we in America are used to-- but, heck, Britain doesnt either. They followed their due process, found the guy guilty under their laws. Good for them.

[sharktrager]

I think some of his statement is justified, as this thread assumes a familiarity level that the comments indicate many people don't have.

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Some here fancy themselves as bad-ass Poster Police and/or are just plain angry at the world.....

[oldvike]

I didn't even realize he was on trial. I thought he had admitted to setting the fire some time ago.

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Hello.........

[Conservababe]

Sorry, but some folks do not stay on FR 24/7 and would appreciate more of a title in breaking news.

[Dave S]

If you don't care about the subject, why the hell did you follow the thread, and then post? I cannot believe the people on this forum that rant about a thread being a waste of time, yet take the time to post on it.

Hey Moron, if it was about "Bill" Maher I would be interested. When I read the NO CONTENT post, I immediately reponded and I was number 6 poster. No one but the original poster had posted to the thread when I read it. If you dont like that, stick your rancid head back up where the sun dont shine and be quiet.

You idiots wouldn't get people complaining about these threads if you posted properly instead of teasing people into reading your who cares crap.

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Wishful thinking/wrong Maher.... 8~)

[Guillermo]

I thought he ADMITTED to starting the fire....????

[AppyPappy]

Don't cloud the issue with facts.

[FreeTheHostages]

I agree. Look, even now the original poster of this thread could ask the Admins to modify the title to it says "Ted Maher." I post here a lot but haven't gone near the Ted Maher threads and I just assumed it was Bill Maher too. I think people should take it as constructive criticism and contact the admins to change the thread title. Not hard to do, and then everyone's happy. Or everyone who can be made happy is happy . . . .

[Fred Mertz]

I thought he had admitted to setting the fire some time ago.

The Monaco gestapo forced a confession out of him is a more accurate take.

[Dave S]

TED Maher, whose cause has been promoted and discussed at great length on the FR. You must not visit here very often or forgot about this major FR topic of late......

Thanks but I've never heard of the case. The fact that something has been a major topic doesnt mean that everyone has read it. I am selective about what I read in that I already spend too much work time online.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Too bad, so sad.

[FreeTheHostages]

A for content, D for presentation. Now, now. I was tricked to come here, wishfully thinking it was Bill Maher. Let us not get our disappointment with the fact that Bill Maher is still a free man confused with our frustration with newbie posters. They do learn, hopefully, through comments like yours, how to do it right.

[McGruff]

Yea, hang him high. I never liked the guy anyway.

[Old Professer]

The first law of headline writing is enticement.

[w_over_w]

I immediately thought Bill Maher because that is the only Maher I know of.

You had me going! Now I'm disappointed. Are they at least related?

[FreeTheHostages]

Really? That's not good . . . .

[Rodney King]

I thought he ADMITTED to starting the fire....????

Yeah, he did. FR has a long history of supporting certain criminals because they said they didn't do it. Like the Chastain's who beat and straved their kids. They didn't do it either, they were the victims of the government who wanted to make money off of placing their kids in foster care.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Gosh, only 10 years for killing two people. How many does he have to kill to get life?

[tracer]

See above -- KEYWORDS: ARSON; MAHER; MONACO; TRIAL

Literacy and a knowledge of major news stories are nice attributes to cultivate...........

[leadpenny]

Or everyone who can be made happy is happy . . . .

:-)

[agitator]

ping

[finnman69]

If you are going to post get the facts correct.

Nurse Faces 12 Years for Monaco Death
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20021202/ap_on_re_eu/monaco_banker_death_2

By JOHN LEICESTER, Associated Press Writer

MONTE CARLO, Monaco (AP) - Monaco's chief prosecutor demanded a 12-year prison sentence Monday for American male nurse Ted Maher for the 1999 arson death of his billionaire employer, Edmond Safra.



The prosecutor, Daniel Serdet, said Maher had set the fire in Safra's luxurious Monaco apartment that led to the asphyxiation deaths of the banker and another of his nurses, Vivian Torrente.


"He directly caused the deaths of Mrs. Torrente and Mr. Safra," Serdet said. "He trapped the victims."


Maher's high-profile trial on charges of arson leading to death ended after closing arguments Monday, with a verdict expected in the evening. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.


The defense said Maher — who acknowledges setting the fire — did not intend for Safra and the nurse to die. His intention was merely to trigger the fire alarm in order to pose as Safra's savior in a rescue.


"Stupidity is reprehensible, but it is not a crime," said Sandrine Setton, one of his defense lawyers, who argued that the charge against Maher should be reduced to involuntary manslaughter, a charge that carries a maximum six years in prison.


"Condemn Theodore Maher for his lies, condemn Theodore Maher for his moral betrayal, condemn Theodore Maher for his faults," Setton said. "Do not condemn him for a crime he did not commit."


Maher has been held in Monaco's prison for the last three years.


The fire and trial have been a sensation in Monaco, which prides itself with providing a safe, security and luxurious environment for the rich and famous in this Mediterranean enclave.


For most of Monday's session, Maher sat still in the dock, looking gaunt and tired as he listened to a translation of the proceedings from French into English. Toward the end of the day, he gave a tearful final word in his own defense.


He called Safra "the best employer I ever had," and said he did not mean to cause his death or the death of the nurse.

"What's happened is and always will be a terrible accident," said the former Green Beret, reiterating earlier testimony.

Maher's wife was in court, as was Safra's widow.

Safra, the 67-year-old founder and principal stock owner of the Republic National Bank of New York, had Parkinson's disease (news - web sites) and required constant care.

He paid Maher $600 a day. Maher, originally from Auburn, Maine, told prosecutors it was "the most beautiful job" he had ever had.

But Maher also felt that Safra's chief nurse belittled him and he feared that he might lose his job. Just six weeks after arriving in Monaco, he hatched the idea of setting the fire to ingratiate himself with his boss and earn a promotion.

In testimony, Maher called the Dec. 3, 1999 blaze a "terrible accident" and said he never meant to harm his employer.

Lawyers for Safra's widow, Lily, however, say Maher should be judged for his actions, not his intentions.

On Monday, the prosecutor described how Maher cut himself with a knife and then set a fire in a wastepaper basket. He called for rescue and told authorities that two masked intruders were in the apartment.

But rather than extinguish the fire, Maher let it spread, the prosecution charged, leading to the two deaths. Prosecutors also said that his tale about intruders delayed the work of firefighters to control the blaze.

Maher's defense team is worried that Monaco, which only has a small, seaside jail, will send him to neighboring France to serve out his sentence if he is convicted. French prisons are extremely overcrowded.

[Revolting cat!]

I'm with ya! These illiterates without a life sit in front of their TVs, fingers itching, waiting for some, any, "breaking news", which they then can post here in the form of an error ridden half-sentence! Then, they expect to be congratulated for being first to do it! Sheesh!

[finnman69]

American nurse Ted Maher, right, talks with his American lawyer Michael Griffith at Monaco's courthouse Thursday Nov. 28, 2002, during his trial for the arson death of his billionaire employer Edmond Safra on Dec. 3, 1999. Authorities are seeking life in prison for Maher, who claims he never expected the fire he started in a small wastebasket in Safra's luxury Monaco penthouse to rage out of control and kill Safra and another nurse. (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau)

[Jalapeno]

10 years is a fact. The prosecution asked for 12.

[PAR35]

Here are some links with background, unless someone else has posted them while I was looking them up:

Monaco Seeks Long Jail Term for Safra Nurse

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/799108/posts

three Days of Reports: Court Prayer Session Held, Safra's Wife and Brother Testify,(Ted Maher)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/798300/posts

Arson death case will put Monaco's reputation on trial (UK TIMES & TED MAHER ALERT)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/792767/posts

[RabidBartender]

Man, I dislike that Bill Maher. Hopefully he'll meet some 'incorrect' people in the prison shower.

[Rodney King]

"Stupidity is reprehensible, but it is not a crime," said Sandrine Setton, one of his defense lawyers,

Stupidity is not a crime if your stupidity leads you to accidentally blow up the oil burner. It is a crime if you plan ahead of time to cause a life threatening situation (which he had to know he was doing if he was going to be a savior) and then death results.

"Condemn Theodore Maher for his lies, condemn Theodore Maher for his moral betrayal, condemn Theodore Maher for his faults," Setton said. "Do not condemn him for a crime he did not commit."

Of course, he did commit it, his FR fan club not withstanding.

[finnman69]

Does this mean no more stupid Free Ted Maher threads on FR?

The guys set the fire but he did not mean to kill anyone? Since when is that ok on FR?

[Rodney King]

Literacy and a knowledge of major news stories are nice attributes to cultivate.......

This is an FR cult news story, not a major news story.

[Dave S]

See above -- KEYWORDS: ARSON; MAHER; MONACO; TRIAL

And gee how many of those key words appear in the breaking news column? I dont count any.

Literacy and a knowledge of major news stories are nice attributes to cultivate...........

BTW, what is this major news story you refer to. Outside the ramblings of conspiracy freaks here, what coverage has this story had in real news media? There is enough crime in this country to give a damn about some former soldier that killed some rich guy in another third world country for profit and then got caught. Serves him right.

[FreeTheHostages]

:)

[Rodney King]

People should be happy that he is only getting 10 years. He deserves life.

[Hatteras]

Bill Maher lit William Safire on fire at Monica's? Where's Bill, what did he know and when did he know it?!