Local News in Brief : Suspect Withdraws Plea
A North Hollywood man accused of abducting a baby boy from the infant’s adoptive parents in Pacific Palisades has been allowed to withdraw his no-contest plea to a kidnaping charge.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jean Matusinka allowed Jonathan Cosby, 28, to withdraw his plea because she could not abide by a plea-bargain arrangement in which Cosby would receive a maximum prison sentence of about eight years.
Cosby, who was allegedly hired to carry out the kidnaping by the 13-month-old boy’s natural parents, a New Jersey couple, had been scheduled for sentencing Monday. But the judge indicated, after reading Cosby’s probation report, in which it was noted that he has prior convictions for false imprisonment and possession of cocaine, that she might want to sentence him to more than eight years.
If convicted of kidnaping and a child-stealing count, Cosby could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.
Matusinka ordered Cosby to return to court Aug. 16 for a pretrial hearing.
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