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  • WEDNESDAY APRIL 20 2005 11:18 AM

See Billy. See Billy Vandalize H2s. See Billy Pay $3.5 Million.

William Cottrell, a 24 year old doctoral candidate in physics at the California Institute of Technology has been sentenced to eight years in prison and three and a half million dollars in restitution for his role in a 2003 string of arsons and vandalism targeting large SUVs at auto dealerships and private homes.

His two co-conspirators fled the country to avoid prosecution.

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.


Giving SUV drivers the finger would have been a better choice, Billy.

 

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Comments
NimChimpsky

NimChimpsky

Oakland, CA
March 2004

APR 22, 2005 02:34 AM

demetrius_z said:

Brinstar said:
It's like we're all standing around kicking someone who is down, then someone else comes up and kicks him harder than us, and we're like DAMN MAN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!?!!!?


Fuck that, I'm European. It's you goddamn yanks killing the planet wink tongue ooo aaa



well, not exactly, we're just killing it a lot faster. wink

PaulNikon

PaulNikon

Palm Bay, FL
February 2003

APR 22, 2005 08:14 PM

What boggles the mind is the damage they did to the environment in the name of protecting the environment.

Brinstar

Brinstar

Chicago, IL
September 2002

APR 22, 2005 08:25 PM

That doesn't boggle my mind. As much as I am sure there is some legitimate political thought out there that results in destruction (not that I agree with the destruction, but that the thought leads to the destruction in some logical form) I just assume most "destructive" acts are carried out by people who like being destructive. The politics are usually a weak afterthought used to justify their behavior.

Reminds me of people who steal from major corporations and pretend they are fighting the power. But what do they do with the stuff they steal? Donate it to the homeless? Give it to a struggling inner city family who lost their father to gang violence?

No, they keep it and use it themselves. Yeah. Fight that power.

Mike11

Mike11

Titusville, FL
OLD SKOOL

APR 23, 2005 03:43 PM

Oxalis said:

Soft_Sin said:
eight years... crazy shiat. Everyone familiar with FUH2.com? Check it out. Random sample:


[Edited on Apr 20, 2005 12:23PM]



What a great site!!! I've shared it with a few friends. It's totally hilarious and you won't serve 8 years for it!!

*insert handcuffed emoticon here*


This site is full of a bunch of people jerking each other off.
Does anyone think that any Hummer owners go to that site and say to themselves " Me owning this Hummer is wrong. I am a bad person"?
Nearly all of the people that go there hate the Hummer so of course you all think it's great.

MrStitches

MrStitches

Brooklyn, NY
November 2003

APR 23, 2005 04:54 PM

So. . .what was the point of the vandalism and firebombing again?

EdmundOG

EdmundOG

I'm lost
July 2004

APR 23, 2005 08:21 PM

MrStitches said:
So. . .what was the point of the vandalism and firebombing again?


Stated reason: To protest Hummers and punish those who buy them.

Actual reason: Wanted to destroy and hurt, Hummer provided easy excuse.

icarustar

icarustar

Austin, TX
April 2003

APR 24, 2005 06:38 PM

I was happy to hear about blowing up the SUVs when it happened, but it doesn't really help the environmental movement...just makes people scared at the extremists.

This guy would have probably done more for the cause by spending years letter writing and campaigning than spending years in jail.

but at least he blew some shit up

life_returns

life_returns

Oakland, CA
April 2003

APR 24, 2005 06:45 PM

its what happens when youre a stupid college kid that thinks he's starting a revolution by vandalising some hummers. Im glad this jackass is going to jail. Probably his big mouth got him busted. I blame evasion and crimethinc. Influencing rich college kids to further their own causes since 1999.

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