Eagle Creek fire teen ordered to pay $36M

[Peter1469]

Eagle Creek fire teen ordered to pay $36M

Clearly close to 99% of this will never be paid. It seems as if they will put him on a payment plan and if he doesn't get in trouble in 10 years they will remove the fine. It would still have to be a low monthly amount. He has to finish high school; if he goes to college, that will add to his debt (although no college may accept him with this on his record.)

Circuit Court Judge John Olson issued his restitution opinion for the teenager who pleaded guilty to starting the Eagle Creek Fire last summer, ordering him to pay $36 million.


The teen was in court on Thursday for a restitution hearing, where 11 different claims were submitted from different agencies and companies totaling $36 million. The teen's attorney argued the number was "cruel and unusual."


The judge said in his opinion that the judgment does not violate the constitution and "is clearly proportionate to the offense because it does not exceed the financial damages caused by the youth."


The Eagle Creek Fire started on Sept. 2, 2017 and burned 48,000 acres of forest land. The 15-year-old pleaded guilty to charges in February.


The court acknowledged the teen cannot pay the full judgment at once, let alone in his lifetime, so the Hood River Juvenile Department is working out an affordable sum and will create a payment plan.


"If the youth wants to appeal this judgemental, there's a lawful mechanism for him to do that, then they'll get a statewide answer from the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court," Phil Lemman, Oregon Judicial Department spokesman, said.


The court can grant a full or partial satisfaction of the restitution after 10 years if the teen completes probation, does not commit additional offenses and complies with payment plan.

Or, the kid could get in really good shape, mentally prepare himself for brutal training, and when he is old enough- join the French Foreign Legion.

[donttread]

Seems a bit excessive as the fire does not appear to have been set on purpose. When the woods is ready to burn like that it's usually for a reason

[DGUtley]

Allowance.
Pop bottles returned.
Newspaper collection.
Panhandling.
Selling baseball cards.

We can cover that.

[Tahuyaman]

I was RVing across Washington, Oregon and California last year when this was going on. It was brutal.

[Peter1469]

This should happen more often when they catch a firebug.

[donttread]

Actually most of these fires need to happen . We have just infringed on the areas where fire is part of how the ecosystem works. He could of done the same thing in the adirondacks and been luck to burn a hundred acres in a dry spell. Besides he sounds like a kid doing dumb stuff not a firebug. Who among us never did dumb stuff as a kid?

[Peter1469]

Actually most of these fires need to happen . We have just infringed on the areas where fire is part of how the ecosystem works. He could of done the same thing in the adirondacks and been luck to burn a hundred acres in a dry spell. Besides he sounds like a kid doing dumb stuff not a firebug. Who among us never did dumb stuff as a kid?

I did, but I never caused serious damage, and I never got caught.

Out west they don't haul out the dead wood, which makes it much easier for a small fire to become a big fire. In the east we handle the dead wood by clearing it or having controlled burns.