Abortion Kidnapping Plea Deal a Miscarriage of Justice (Updated)

Do you remember the Kampf's? No? They were the white couple up in Maine that were so livid that their 19 year old daughter had gotten pregnant by a black South African man that was serving time in prison for receiving stolen property and will be deported back to South Africa when his sentence is completed, that they kidnapped and tied up their pregnant daughter at gunpoint and were driving her to New York State in order to force her to have an abortion. Now does the name ring a bell? Yeah, I thought that might jog your memory. Well the wheels of justice appear to have four flat tires in Maine. The Kampfs have negotiated a plea deal that allows them to serve no jail time at all.

A couple accused of kidnapping their daughter to force her to have an abortion last year have reached a plea agreement in which they will serve no time behind bars, the couple's lawyer said Wednesday.

Nicholas and Lola Kampf have agreed to plead guilty Friday to misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct charges to resolve the case, said Thomas Hallett, Nicholas Kampf's attorney.

Under the agreement, the couple will avoid jail time and the assault charge will be dropped once they complete counseling, Hallett said.

"The reality is this was a family matter from the get-go. We tried to resolve this in the best way possible. It was in the best interest of everyone not to blow this up into a big trial," Hallett said.

But Katelyn Kampf, now 20, is none too happy with the fact that the kidnapping charges have been dropped. She intends to be in the courtroom to voice her extreme displeasure with the deal.

"What I've been looking for is some sort of justice," she said. "Them walking away with a misdemeanor is certainly not that."

But apparently this is all news to the DA's office:

District Attorney Stephanie Anderson didn't return a call from The Associated Press. She told the Portland Press Herald that she was surprised by Katelyn Kampf's remarks because she was involved in the discussions.

Katelyn however describes the kidnapping this way:

Breaking her silence on the ordeal, Katelyn Kampf described a harrowing experience that ensued Sept. 15, 2006, after her parents learned she was pregnant with a mixed-race baby. Kampf is white. Reme Johnson, her boyfriend at the time, is black.

Kampf said her mother referred to the baby she was carrying as a "science project" before the episode unfolded.

"At one point I did make it out the door and I ran down the driveway," she said. "I didn't make it 100 feet. My dad chased me and tackled me in the driveway. I had grass stains all over my clothes. I was screaming for help."

Hallett denied that the Kampfs were racist but said the parents were troubled by the unplanned pregnancy.

Yeah, sure, they call ALL pregnancies "science projects" not just mixed race ones right?

Kampf, who gave birth in January to a son, D'Andre Johnson, said it's hard to imagine reconciliation with her parents.

"Honestly, I don't think that I could ever face my parents again after what we went through. My mom spit in my face, said she wished she never had me, said I'd ruined her life," she said.

She added, however, that their absence represents a "huge loss in my life."

It is a crying shame that this child will be without both a father, and grandparents. Nobody in this ordeal made very wise decisions, but at least Katelyn made the decision to spare the child's life. Of the four adults involved here, she would appear to be the most responsible. The sad part is that the child will be the one to pay that price.

I would suggest that the Portland Maine DA's office needs to be getting a few calls about the appropriateness of this plea deal.

UPDATE:
Jill Stanek has more.