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MyspacePatrick Boston, the man accused of operating an interstate prostitution ring that allegedly involved the coerced participation of an 18-year-old Nebraska woman, was sentenced in court Tuesday to three years in state prison.
Boston’s sentence was in accordance with the terms of a conditional plea agreement made with the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office earlier this month. In exchange for a plea of no contest to a felony pandering charge, charges of human trafficking and pimping were dropped, and Boston received the low term recommended by sentencing guidelines. He was also forced to relinquish more than $4,000 dollars, his laptop, and the white Cadillac that he was driving at the time of his arrest.
When asked to comment on the decision to offer such a seemingly generous plea agreement, Deputy District Attorney Paula Waldman cited a number of “real potential difficulties” that presented themselves as her office looked into the possibility of trying the case. “The victim, for one, was uncooperative,” Waldman said, “After multiple attempts to contact her were unsuccessful, we knew that we were likely going to be in an all or nothing situation.”
According to Waldman, if her office had gone ahead with the preparations for trial, and then been unable to locate the victim, the District Attorney would have likely been forced to drop the entire case. “This way,” Waldman said, “we know he will serve time and have a felony on his record.”
Waldman also went on to say that, in addition, her office would have had a lot of difficulty proving that the victim was indeed forced, implying she had reason to believe that the previously reported charges of coercion were not necessarily accurate, stating “there was a reason we didn’t file any kidnapping charges.”
“Under the circumstances,” she said, “I believe this outcome was positive.”
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Comments
Nice excuse from the DA's office. In reality the DA is too busy busting people for marijuana to focus on real crimes in our community.
Totally lost all faith in our law enforcement here in SB...
bronc (anonymous profile)
October 20, 2010 at 3:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Trip out. All they care is that the person gets a felony on their record and has to spend time in jail, they don't care if someone was actually harmed or not according to their own words. And they wonder why people have no faith at all in this DA's office.
EZK (anonymous profile)
October 20, 2010 at 3:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I feel much safer now that (barring his conviction being overturned) I know Patrick Boston will never be able to vote.
These convicted felons pose such a big threat to our poltical system that the thought of seeing them at the polls gives me nightmares.
So what is that we are told about doing your time and returning to society?
billclausen (anonymous profile)
October 20, 2010 at 8:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Do your time, get out, and do it all over again. I doubt the legal system has seen the last of Patrick Boston.
AZ2SB (anonymous profile)
October 21, 2010 at 12:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sentence should have been times ten. Human trafficking, pimping, just the usual easy-to-drop charges.
Apparently Bronc never met a bong he couldn't rally in favor of. Jeez, dude---just because you don't hear them doesn't mean them helicopters over your house aren't there for you. LOL
Draxor (anonymous profile)
October 22, 2010 at 11:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)