Teen must pay nearly $37M for starting Oregon wildfire, judge rules...

originally posted by: EternalSolace

You're not thinking this through. He's 15. Ten years of garnishment. There goes not only his "firework allowance"... but his rent, food, car, education, everything except his $7.00 hour McDonalds job until hes twenty five....


Oh wait its washington state... doesnt mcdonalds pay $17?

WTH you talking about...it was in Oregon..BTW his mom doesn't speak English, so maybe they follow different rules from his home country...

Wouldn't surprise me if he wasn't filming himself for something on YouTube. So no sympathy. Although a lot of stuff on YouTube is junk I did see a video, prompted by your views or something like that, where a prankster in a costume approached someone then got beat and shot (I think in the leg), it was definitely a funny prank and may have drove home to him that actions have consequences and some folks don't have a sense of humor.

a reply to: EternalSolace

The judge was correct,too many times offenders get a virtual slap on wrist,make him pay instead of taxpayers for his foolish deeds

Appears to be a symbolic gesture.

As noted previously, all he has to do is not work until he is 25....just sponge off his parents and he is free and clear.

Won't take him long to build his credit back up afterwards.

just a quick question - dont these sorts of punishment - demand 10 years of payments , not " hide in poverty for 10 years " ???

The Judge SCREWED UP big time! He should, was suppose to, have given him an life-time sentence of a new career in Forestry were he will be re-planting all those burned-out old growth forest. He, the kid, knew what he was doing when he threw the fireworks, he was warned not to do it by a passing adult hiker who later reported him and his friends. The area was red flagged for HIGH FIRE DANGER, so it wasn't like anyone didn't know they shouldn't be doing this kind of stuff. That area was beautiful, and a big tourist attraction. I've hike & camped Eagle Creek trail and the Columbia Gorge, it's sad it will never be the same again in my life time. He is getting off way to easy. _javascript:icon('')

originally posted by: EternalSolace
Should a juvenile spend the rest of their life paying for a simple mistake such as fireworks?

Absolutely. That # threw fireworks, AND during a burn ban. He destroyed just under 49,000 acres of forest. Intentional or not, that's anything but a "simple mistake". People need to know that when they cause massive environmental destruction, they'll pay for it for the rest of their lives.

He's a minor i don't really think it means anything other than headlines. You can't sue a minor??

Anyway

This is co mpletely idiotic

Now when that kid goes crazy in a few years and starts shooting people then what

This is co mpletely idiotic

Now when that kid goes crazy in a few years and starts shooting people then what

a reply to: EternalSolace

A fifteen year old should be expected to know the world around him, and the consequences of his actions well enough, that this sort of behaviour is unthinkable to them.

If the lad does not know yet, that actions have consequences, and that one must take responsibility for ones actions and their consequences, then this will be a valuable lesson to him, one he clearly sorely requires to be taught. This fire was 33,000 acres in size. Something like that could easily have killed people, livestock, endangered the natural habitats of species vital to the local biome, has disrupted the local biome an incredible amount, and as acts of vandalism go, this is pretty major.

If the kid had merely improperly disposed of a cigarette butt, or some other casual action of that nature, a passive action of that sort, and a wildfire had resulted, the case could be made that it could have happened to anyone, that no action was taken on the part of the defendant that was in anyway deliberate. But letting off a smoke bomb is a deliberate act, one which a reasonable person would conclude comes with a measure of risk. As you probably know, smoke bombs work by way of inducing an exothermic chemical reaction, in order to create the impetus for the components of the smoke to be released from the device. This means that even some time after the chemicals within have been consumed, the casing will remain scalding hot, more than hot enough to induce ignition in any dry material that is present in the vicinity.

Now, either the lad knew this, but ignored the threat and carried on regardless, or he did not know that, and made a very stupid decision. But this incident was not an accident in either case. In either situation, the lad is responsible for this fire, performed a deliberate act which initiated it, and must be held responsible legally and financially.

As others have pointed out already, the ruling holds that if this lad does not continue to be an ignorant, mindless creator of chaos, the payments can be ceased in ten years. Also, if this situation follows the same path as that of the example you made in your last quoted segment, its very unlikely that the defendant will have paid more than a few hundred dollars during the ten year period referred to in the ruling.

originally posted by: toysforadults
This is co mpletely idiotic

Now when that kid goes crazy in a few years and starts shooting people then what

Then he is either shot in the act, or goes to prison.

Should he have gone to prison now? Or been made to do community service picking up trash?
He didn't just throw a smoke out the window, he didn't just accidentally light a fire, he threw an incendiary device into a place where he knew it would likely catch fire.

And fire ensues. Lots. I'd have put him behind bars personally. Screw his personal boohoos. What if he had dropped a large rock off a bridge onto incoming traffic? "One mistake..." well, he's just lucky it didn't take lives.

Bet you this though, he won't be thinking about doing something reckless next time.

a reply to: EternalSolace


It's a good thing he is being made an example of. Most people are lucky to earn more than like $2 million in their entire lifetime. There is no way that this kid will pay that $37 million off in 10 years. The article even says if the kid complies with probation and does everything he has to do, the required restitution payments will be halted after 10 years.

I don't suppose that's why people purchase hundreds of millions in insurance. Let's not rely upon insurance companies to do what we pay them to do

Insurance companies base their premium calculations on data and loads of information that dictates they will be able to turn a profit, AND cover losses when they occur. Events such as this wildfire, caused by a teenage boy (which would not have happened without his actions), can be catastrophic for an insurance provider. Their data is based on the "average level of risk"... this teenager's actions threw a wrench in the data and is not something the companies could plan for.

Am I the only one who noticed that the forestry department's chief debt collector is named Bonebreak?

a reply to: EternalSolace

This was not a simple mistake. The kid was joking about causing a fire. It was fire season. YOU ARE WRONG, You don't live in Oregon and don't have a freaking clue what you are talking about. This kid should pay for the rest of his life.

I foresee one person living quite well working under the table.

a reply to: EternalSolace

I’m not sure how the “system” works in Organ, but I’m most states, the parents are actually responsible for court fines and fees of their children. I too have paid court fees and fines from my teenage kid once, as it was noted my responsibility. Of course I’m only talking hundreds of dollars oppose the millions. I agree that no child should ever be court ordered (themselves) to pay anything. Depending on his families financial situation, he may never satisfy that judgment. I agree with who ever commented about the fire safety course and maybe community service. He’ll send him to the fire station a couple days a week and let the firemen give him a list of chores, something...

a reply to: richapau

Seriously? It actually was a “simple mistake”. Unfortunately, his simple mistake resulted in huge consequences! The kid or more likely his parents will have to pay for the rest of their lives. I see more and more people agreeing with our cruel and unusual punishment/ excessive fines of a Justice System more and more everyday. Whether it’s deliberate or not, from infractions to felonies, we humans break the law every day! You’re probably breaking the law right now. Unfortunately (if caught) sometimes an infraction can lead to felony results. I’m aware we all have different opinions on different subjects but it seems more and more people have the same opinions when it comes to law and order, which is agreeing with whatever is the most punishable. It would be interesting to know how many people would agree if he got a life prison sentence for it. After all, he has to pay for the rest of his life, right?

a reply to: EternalSolace

Yup...that's what happens when you do stupid #...his stupid playing with fireworks caused a forest fire....a 15 year old is old enough to know better...or at least they really should.

originally posted by: richapau
a reply to: EternalSolace

This was not a simple mistake. The kid was joking about causing a fire. It was fire season. YOU ARE WRONG, You don't live in Oregon and don't have a freaking clue what you are talking about. This kid should pay for the rest of his life.

And I don't suppose you pay an insurance company, if you live in fire country, for insurance. You know, insurance in the case os stupidty. Like I do... outside of fire country.