Student Gets 8 Years for SUV Vandalism

[bachviet]

Sentenced for 2003 spree that torched Hummers, other gas guzzlers
Updated: 9:45 p.m. ET April 18, 2005

LOS ANGELES - An aspiring physicist was sentenced to more than eight years in prison on Monday 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.

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Rejecting pleas for clemency from William Cottrell, a 24-year-old doctoral candidate in physics at the California Institute of Technology, U.S. District Judge Gary Klausner added more time to the sentence after finding that Cottrell was trying to sway consumers with his anti-SUV message.

The slogans Cottrell spray-painted onto vehicles included “Fat Lazy Americans,” “No Respect for Earth” and “SUV = Terrorism.”

Cottrell, who admitted only spray-painting and testified he did not know that two friends were bringing Molotov cocktails, promised he would never break the law again. The two friends have fled the country to avoid prosecution, authorities said.

“I want nothing more than to be a physicist,” Cottrell said. “I would do anything to earn any leniency the court could show in this matter.”

Cottrell was convicted last November on seven counts of arson and one count of conspiracy related to a 2003 vandalism and firebombing spree that targeted about 125 large sports utility vehicles at four Southern California dealerships and a few homes.

Lawyers mount autism defense
Cottrell’s attorneys asked for the five-year mandatory minimum sentence saying that their client has Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism marked by impaired ability to understand social situations.

They said it affected his judgment and kept him from backing out when his two friends started lighting Molotov cocktails.

But Judge Klausner said high intelligence should work against a defendant, not in his favor. “What a talent to have wasted,” Klausner said. “There’s only one person to blame for that, and I’m sure Mr. Cottrell understands that it’s him.”

Attorneys estimated that Cottrell, who had faced a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, could spend six years in jail, including credit for time served.

“The defendant engaged in conduct to send a political message,” said federal prosecutor Beverly Reid O’Connell. “He’s a scheming, arrogant person who is disdainful of the law and the justice system.”

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Linky

What do you think about the sentences? I think it's appropriate.

[LegendKiller]

Beat ya by a minute, I posted in Political since he was trying to make a political statement.

[AmRivlin]

God that really ****ing sucks. One time I knocked over a trashcan and politely denied it to the officer that had me on video... I was let go without much more than a scare.

Yes bombs and spraypaint are extreme, but unless this guy had priors... Man, I feel for him. He was just being a stupid kid, punishment is due, but 5 years?!

[navyones]

Let's see: Murderer gets 5 years, and he/ she is paroled in 2 years. Some guy spray paints some SUVs and gets 8 years.

Something is seriously flawed in the U.S. justice system.

[Jeffbx]

I agree the sentence is probably not appropriate to this crime - he should just have to pay for the damage he caused.

So that's 125 SUVs, at let's say about $35k each... hell, let's just round down to an even $4mil. That would give him something to think about every time he signs over half of his paycheck to someone else for the rest of his life.

[rasetsu]

I think making him pay for the damages plus interest for the rest of his life makes more sense. Put his education to use instead of making tax payers feed his hippie granola eating ass in jail.