[Apple Pro Underwear]

YAY!!!!

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/04/18/su...eut/index.html

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- An aspiring physicist was sentenced Monday to more than eight years in prison and ordered to pay $3.5 million for his role in a spree of arson and vandalism that targeted gas-guzzling Hummers and other sports utility vehicles.


This bastard got hit hard and he's smart so he knows he just wasted a whole bunch of his years. Plus California has some nasty ass jails too. he will be raped like the outlaw bitch he is. DONT F*CK WITH OTHER PEOPLE'S SHYT! Also, the 3.5 million basically will ruin his life even after he gets out.

[willed]

Originally Posted by Apple Pro Underwear

YAY!!!!

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/04/18/su...eut/index.html

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- An aspiring physicist was sentenced Monday to more than eight years in prison and ordered to pay $3.5 million for his role in a spree of arson and vandalism that targeted gas-guzzling Hummers and other sports utility vehicles.


This bastard got hit hard and he's smart so he knows he just wasted a whole bunch of his years. Plus California has some nasty ass jails too. he will be raped like the outlaw bitch he is. DONT F*CK WITH OTHER PEOPLE'S SHYT! Also, the 3.5 million basically will ruin his life even after he gets out.

err... okay.

[Randman]

Good. Justice served. But what's an aspiring physicist?

[ghporter]

An "aspiring physicist" is somebody that's good at math and wants to spend the next ten years in school. This guy got to spend that time in a different kind of institution.

The actions of Cottrell and others of like minds are counter to everything about what we call "civilization." In our society you can protest all you want, but as soon as you break a twig in somebody's yard, or scratch his fingernail, or make his dog sick, then you've crossed the line.

In this case, I agree with Cottrell that super-SUVs are a super wast of time, money and fuel, and that the people who buy them to commute 20 minutes to a soft desk job or to go to the corner store for Ho-Hos are pathetic excuses for human beings. Now, Cottrell has voluntarily joined the ranks of "pathetic excuses for human beings" by abrogating his social responsibilities and behaving like a ticked-off third grader. I hope he enjoys meeting Bubba, 'cause Bubba's lonely...

[Randman]

The ironic thing is that such stupid actions work to the detriment of his cause.

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally Posted by Randman

The ironic thing is that such stupid actions work to the detriment of his cause.

Exactly!!! He places an “eco-fanatic” theme on anyone that thinks fuel guzzling SUVs are a ridiculous waste of environmental resources.

[scaught]

Originally Posted by ghporter

An "aspiring physicist" is somebody that's good at math and wants to spend the next ten years in school. This guy got to spend that time in a different kind of institution.

The actions of Cottrell and others of like minds are counter to everything about what we call "civilization." In our society you can protest all you want, but as soon as you break a twig in somebody's yard, or scratch his fingernail, or make his dog sick, then you've crossed the line.

In this case, I agree with Cottrell that super-SUVs are a super wast of time, money and fuel, and that the people who buy them to commute 20 minutes to a soft desk job or to go to the corner store for Ho-Hos are pathetic excuses for human beings. Now, Cottrell has voluntarily joined the ranks of "pathetic excuses for human beings" by abrogating his social responsibilities and behaving like a ticked-off third grader. I hope he enjoys meeting Bubba, 'cause Bubba's lonely...

:clap clap clap:

[Zimphire]

Extremist nut jobs are lame.
Plain and Simple.

Now lets get them spammers.

[badidea]

8 years for vandalism is just sick and sad!

[Millennium]

If this is in line with penalties for a similar number of counts for vandalizing and committing arson against property of similar value, then I'm all for it; lock him up. I would find this cause for concern if there were extra penalties tacked onto it because of the motive, but that doesn't seem to have happened.

Free speech only means that speech itself is never a crime. It does not shield one from prosecution for any actual crimes that one might commit. Vandalizing property in protest is still vandalism, just as assaulting someone as a protest is still assault, just as inciting a panic without cause (the classic example of shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theater when there is no fire comes to mind) is still inciting a panic without cause.

[Millennium]

Originally Posted by badidea

8 years for vandalism is just sick and sad! n:

Certainly it would be if there were only one count of vandalism, but it sounds as though there were several such counts, as well as charges of arson.

[badidea]

Originally Posted by Millennium

...there were several such counts, as well as charges of arson.

Was anybody injured, hurt or killed???

[cjrivera]

Originally Posted by Apple Pro Underwear

YAY!!!!

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/04/18/su...eut/index.html

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- An aspiring physicist was sentenced Monday to more than eight years in prison and ordered to pay $3.5 million for his role in a spree of arson and vandalism that targeted gas-guzzling Hummers and other sports utility vehicles.


This bastard got hit hard and he's smart so he knows he just wasted a whole bunch of his years. Plus California has some nasty ass jails too. he will be raped like the outlaw bitch he is. DONT F*CK WITH OTHER PEOPLE'S SHYT! Also, the 3.5 million basically will ruin his life even after he gets out.

HAW! HAW!

[Goldfinger]

Sad, really sad. They basically ruined the man's life. What normal man can pay for a $3.5 million fine after being in jail for 8 years ? He is ****ed for life. Way to go for that so called 'justice'. They couldn't think of alternative punishments or anything ? Where is that 3.5 million going ? Right in the judge's pocket ?

[Millennium]

Originally Posted by badidea

Was anybody injured, hurt or killed???

"Injured" or "killed"? Not that I'm aware of. "Hurt", however, is far more debatable. If nothing else, most of the victims will have to pay for either expensive repairs or completely new cars, to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars apiece; are you saying that this is not a form of harm?

[Millennium]

Originally Posted by Goldfinger

Sad, really sad. They basically ruined the man's life. What normal man can pay for a $3.5 million fine after being in jail for 8 years ? He is ****ed for life.

So what? That is the consequence of his actions and his choices; not those of anyone else. He could just as easily have chosen not to destroy several million dollars' worth of property; billions of people make this choice every day.

Way to go for that so called 'justice'. They couldn't think of alternative punishments or anything ?

Why should they (whoever they are)? This is not a legally-ambiguous case, and the law is clear on these matters. He chose to break the law. This doesn't even seem to have been an issue of desperation; it was done in essentially cold blood. What about this man's actions merits leniency, and if there is nothing, then why should he not receive due punishment for his actions?

Where is that 3.5 million going ? Right in the judge's pocket ?

This is, admittedly, cause for concern. Ideally, it should be used to cover repair and replacement cause for the victims, and any left over should be placed into a fund that covers vandalism victims in cases where this sort of thing cannot be done.

[badidea]

Originally Posted by Millennium

...are you saying that this is not a form of harm?

No, I am not! Are you saying that any form of harm should be punished with 8 years and 3.5 Mio???

[jasonsRX7]

Originally Posted by Goldfinger

Sad, really sad. They basically ruined the man's life.

He ruined his own life.

[Apple Pro Underwear]

Originally Posted by Goldfinger

1.Sad, really sad. They basically ruined the man's life. What normal man can pay for a $3.5 million fine after being in jail for 8 years ? He is ****ed for life.

2.Way to go for that so called 'justice'. They couldn't think of alternative punishments or anything ?

3.Where is that 3.5 million going ? Right in the judge's pocket ?

1. thats the point. sends a message for all vandals too.

2. he went above and beyond to go out of his way to commit crimes, so the judge did the same thing for justice.

3. where does parking ticket money go?

[wdlove]

What a very sad way to protest. Such a waist of his intelligence. Apparently another that lacks common sense.

[demograph68]

Originally Posted by Apple Pro Underwear

1. thats the point. sends a message for all vandals too.

"I don't believe in that "making an example" business. Sentences should be meted out to fit the crime, not as some form of Government advertising. Mandatory minimums suck, and need to be abolished. Each case is unique, and all mitigating and aggravating circumstances need to be factored in to sentences. Power is being usurped from judges and juries bit by bit, and that alarms me."

[Millennium]

Originally Posted by badidea

No, I am not! Are you saying that any form of harm should be punished with 8 years and 3.5 Mio???

I would say that depends on the type of harm.

If only one person had been harmed, then I would say that this punishment would have been overly severe by many orders of magnitude. However, it was not only one person harmed, not only one SUV vandalized and burned. The article itself is unclear on the number, and I had assumed it would be some seven or eight vehicles. However, a bit more research uncovered the exact number: a staggering 125 cars. It seems as though hit several dealerships were hit in addition to quite a few privately-owned cars.

Per car, this comes out to $28,000. This is less than half the cost of a Hummer, but we'll assume that not only Hummers were hit; in the end, the figure comes out quite close to the estimated value of the destroyed property. It also comes out to 23 days -a little over three weeks- in prison per car. Again, not unreasonable. It's also worth noting that this eight years is a far cry from the maximum prison sentence: some 35 years.

In other words, he has to pay for what he destroyed, and serve one-fifth the usual sentences for thes crimes. I fail to see what's so unjust about that.

[pooka]

Originally Posted by badidea

Was anybody injured, hurt or killed???

Maybe not. But as a former psycho-asshole I can say that anytime you incenerate a vehicle you are putting yourself and many others in a pretty ****ing nasty situation. Think about the danger that puts firemen and emergency responce personal in. And don't forget that car dealerships are usually located near heavy traffic areas and that a SUV (with huge freakin gas tanks) could explode and sling debris onto a major highway. Stupid **** like this could cause people to die. Some judges understand this and will teach lessons from time to time. It sucks and he probably never meant to hurt anyone.. but **** happens.

[Link]

You can be smart and lack common sense

[DigitalEl]

That pathetic bishop here in Phoenix who killed a man in a hit and run didn't even get a sentence like this. Then again, in some parts of the country, a man's SUV is more important than a man's life.

Background:
http://www.azcentral.com/specials/sp...en-main17.html

No Jail-Time Sentence Handed Down:
http://www.azcentral.com/specials/sp...7obrien27.html

That being said, this "aspiring physicist's" actions did detract from the valid points those who agree with his disdain for urban assault vehicles may share. Lame crime... Unjust sentence... Losers all around.

[Link]

Yep, one of the reasons they go insane on private property cases is they actually have a dollar amount they can put on this person's head. Suddenly he/she isn't just a criminal, but robbed X people of X dollars. Dealing with assault or murder is a different story, every time.. especially since the best witness can't defend/help themself.

[Zimphire]

Originally Posted by Goldfinger

Sad, really sad. They basically ruined the man's life.

They? They didn't make him break the law.

He ruined his own life.

He has to take responsibilities for his own actions.

No one but himself made him do this.

[Randman]

Do the crime, do the time.

[jasonsRX7]

Originally Posted by Millennium

However, a bit more research uncovered the exact number: a staggering 125 cars.

125 cars... Not only did he deserve every bit of his sentence (if not more), he should undergo extensive psychiatric evaluation. Since he seems to have severe mental issues, he could become even more vigilant if he doesn't learn a lesson from his sentence. Had he stayed on the streets, how much more time would it have taken before he realized his efforts weren't accomplishing anything, and decided to take matters a step further by sniping SUV driving soccer moms.

[DeathMan]

That kid ruined his life when he destroyed 3.5 million dollars worth of property. Who cares what form it was in. If it were $3.5 worth of kittens, you guys would be pissed.

[willed]

Originally Posted by Zimphire

Extremist nut jobs are lame.
Plain and Simple.

Irony/hypocrisy of the week?

[Randman]

Fact of the week.

[Will V.]

It's ironic that many large SUV drivers break the law every single day, and they always get away with it...

http://slate.msn.com/id/2104755/

[Randman]

Even if they do, that doesn't give any individual the right to vandalize and commit arson on the vehicles. And not just one, but dozens. Two wrongs don't make a right.

It's the same idiocy as some of these anti-abortionists. "We're so pro-life that we may just have to kill a few of them there doctors to prove our point."

[Will V.]

Originally Posted by Randman

Even if they do, that doesn't give any individual the right to vandalize and commit arson on the vehicles.

I never said it did. It's just ironic.

One could argue the drivers of these SUV's are vandalizing our roads and neighborhoods, though, perhaps without the criminal intent.

[Millennium]

Originally Posted by Will V.

One could argue the drivers of these SUV's are vandalizing our roads and neighborhoods, though, perhaps without the criminal intent.

To do that, you'd need to show the damage being caused, and prove that it was being caused by the SUVs. That's going to be difficult. This is, I suspect, why the laws have yet to be enforced: they know that as soon as someone is cited the ACLU will come down on them like a ton of bricks.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by badidea

Was anybody injured, hurt or killed???

No, that's why the sentence is so high.
Material damage is worse than collateral damages.
Think US, think money.

-t

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally Posted by turtle777

No, that's why the sentence is so high.
Material damage is worse than collateral damages.
Think US, think money.

-t

Ummm... wrong.

If the person had hurt or killed someone... he could be looking at 20+ years.

[Millennium]

Originally Posted by turtle777

Material damage is worse than collateral damages.

No, but deliberate damage is worse than accidental damage.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Millennium

Per car, this comes out to $28,000. This is less than half the cost of a Hummer, but we'll assume that not only Hummers were hit; in the end, the figure comes out quite close to the estimated value of the destroyed property.

What ? $ 28,00 for a paintjob ?
Allegedly, he did NOT firebomb the SUVs.

-t

[AB^2=BCxAC]

Me thinks he read Fight Club a bit too much.

Am I the only one who read this and thought: wow, what balls for attacking conspicuous consumerism and going up against the real law of the land (material wealth). Ultimately, I don't appreciate what he did, but I feel he got the message across fine to me, and the penalty he got just underscores the problem even more.

We *heart* our gas guzzlers here in the U.S., and heaven help you if you get in our way.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by mitchell_pgh

Ummm... wrong.

If the person had hurt or killed someone... he could be looking at 20+ years.

Right. See DigitalEl's post above.


-t

[Millennium]

Originally Posted by AB^2=BCxAC

Me thinks he read Fight Club a bit too much.

Am I the only one who read this and thought: wow, what balls for attacking conspicuous consumerism and going up against the real law of the land (material wealth).

Quite possibly. I don't agree with conspicuous consumerism, but I don't see vandalism as a valid form of protest. Let someone drive what they want to drive.

Ultimately, I don't appreciate what he did, but I feel he got the message across fine to me...

What message? "I don't like SUVs so they should be banned"?

[Will V.]

Originally Posted by Millennium

To do that, you'd need to show the damage being caused, and prove that it was being caused by the SUVs. That's going to be difficult. This is, I suspect, why the laws have yet to be enforced: they know that as soon as someone is cited the ACLU will come down on them like a ton of bricks.

I said one could argue that, I didn't say one could convict SUV drivers of that. Sheesh, MacNN forums is a *great* place to come to, to have words put in your mouth.

However, they could be convicted (fined) of driving vehicles over the weight limit. I don't think the ACLU would be able to do much about that. Weight limits have been in place for years, and they are there for a very clear reason. Just because General Motors and Ford, et. al., sell vehicles that exceed the weight limit on some residential roads, doesn't give people the right to break the law and drive those vehicles on those roads.

[Zimphire]

Originally Posted by willed

Irony/hypocrisy of the week?

Wow, saying I am extremist?



Your meter needs adjusted.

[Face Ache]

Originally Posted by Apple Pro Underwear

Plus California has some nasty ass jails too. he will be raped like the outlaw bitch he is.

Three cheers for gay rape!

[olePigeon]

He shoulda moved the UK first. He'd be out in 3 months.

[Eriamjh]

That f*ck got what he deserved. I hope his new husband splits him in two...

[Apple Pro Underwear]

Originally Posted by Face Ache

Three cheers for gay rape!

thanks to tv series like OZ, documentaries and urban legend...


don't commit crimes. dont kill people, don't steal, don't beat people, dont have sex with children, dont rape others and dont vandalize.

CAUSE YOU WILL BE RAPED! (among other disgusting nasty things)



Three cheers for gay rape indeed!

[maxintosh]

The public applauding of prison rape makes me absolutely sick.

I find it difficult to feel too much compassion for serial murderers, molesters, and rapists but people who have commited no violent crimes certainly do not deserve sexual torture and inhuman degredation as punishment. It is against the basic tenants of human rights. Prisoners lose certain legal rights, but they certainly should not lose human rights. This is a *civilized* country, remember?

n::

"The horrors experienced by many young inmates, particularly those who are convicted of nonviolent offenses, border on the unimaginable. Prison rape not only threatens the lives of those who fall prey to their aggressors, but it is potentially devastating to the human spirit. Shame, depression, and a shattering loss of self-esteem accompany the perpetual terror the victim thereafter must endure."

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun, Farmer v. Brennan

C'mon folks, even Bush signed the Federal Prison Rape Elimination Act.