Auburn tree-poisoner/Tide maniac gets 3 years in jail

[Cosmic]

If everyone didn't hate his guts so much, he could probably could have won. He pled guilty to "criminal damage an agricultural facility"... does that seem weird to anyone else? I don't have the text of the law in front of me, but "agriculture" to me means growing plants in order to produce some kind of product you can sell. Which would damage a business. This was just hurt feelings.

He's still an idiot, though.

[Gothamite]

I don't have the text of the law in front of me,

I think we would need to look at the actual text before deciding if the text is applicable or not.

[Sport]

Hell, George Washington cut down a Cherry tree and he became the first king of America. Do you have any idea how delicious cherries are?

#retweet

[Greg_Fryman]

They were very well-liked trees, as stated above. They were incredibly old trees that still bloomed; I get it. People who like Auburn like these trees. A misguided fool poisoned these extremely rare trees. I understand this.

I just don't understand how killing trees is worth six months of freedom. Killing people, yes. Torturing animals, sure. But trees? Trees get used and harvested all the time.

Like I said, make him pay for the best replacement trees possible. Make him pay restitution. Ban him from forests.

But six months in the slammer surrounded by murderers, rapists, thieves, and psychopaths?

Seems a bit excessive for killing trees.

It's a campus landmark, the same as the generic clock tower on the inevitably named "Old Main", etc. 6 months is equitable.

And if someone vandalized the clock tower would they get 6 months in jail? I don't believe so. I agree the guy sounds like a lunatic but come on.

[Brass]

They were very well-liked trees, as stated above. They were incredibly old trees that still bloomed; I get it. People who like Auburn like these trees. A misguided fool poisoned these extremely rare trees. I understand this.

I just don't understand how killing trees is worth six months of freedom. Killing people, yes. Torturing animals, sure. But trees? Trees get used and harvested all the time.

Like I said, make him pay for the best replacement trees possible. Make him pay restitution. Ban him from forests.

But six months in the slammer surrounded by murderers, rapists, thieves, and psychopaths?

Seems a bit excessive for killing trees.

It's a campus landmark, the same as the generic clock tower on the inevitably named "Old Main", etc. 6 months is equitable.

And if someone vandalized the clock tower would they get 6 months in jail? I don't believe so. I agree the guy sounds like a lunatic but come on.

Well, they were close enough to the clock tower....

[Sport]

They were very well-liked trees, as stated above. They were incredibly old trees that still bloomed; I get it. People who like Auburn like these trees. A misguided fool poisoned these extremely rare trees. I understand this.

I just don't understand how killing trees is worth six months of freedom. Killing people, yes. Torturing animals, sure. But trees? Trees get used and harvested all the time.

Like I said, make him pay for the best replacement trees possible. Make him pay restitution. Ban him from forests.

But six months in the slammer surrounded by murderers, rapists, thieves, and psychopaths?

Seems a bit excessive for killing trees.

It's a campus landmark, the same as the generic clock tower on the inevitably named "Old Main", etc. 6 months is equitable.

And if someone vandalized the clock tower would they get 6 months in jail? I don't believe so. I agree the guy sounds like a lunatic but come on.

Killing of the trees is past simple vandalizing. If someone knocked the clock tower down and left ruins in its place then that would be a more apt comparison. And they would probably receive jail time for that.

[Greg_Fryman]

They were very well-liked trees, as stated above. They were incredibly old trees that still bloomed; I get it. People who like Auburn like these trees. A misguided fool poisoned these extremely rare trees. I understand this.

I just don't understand how killing trees is worth six months of freedom. Killing people, yes. Torturing animals, sure. But trees? Trees get used and harvested all the time.

Like I said, make him pay for the best replacement trees possible. Make him pay restitution. Ban him from forests.

But six months in the slammer surrounded by murderers, rapists, thieves, and psychopaths?

Seems a bit excessive for killing trees.

It's a campus landmark, the same as the generic clock tower on the inevitably named "Old Main", etc. 6 months is equitable.

And if someone vandalized the clock tower would they get 6 months in jail? I don't believe so. I agree the guy sounds like a lunatic but come on.

Killing of the trees is past simple vandalizing. If someone knocked the clock tower down and left ruins in its place then that would be a more apt comparison. And they would probably receive jail time for that.

Its a shame that this happened I agree. But it is just a tree not a building I understand it had a certain meaning to Auburn students and citizens that lived in that area. I just can't wrap my mind around a 3 year sentence for poisoning a tree.

[Sport]

They were very well-liked trees, as stated above. They were incredibly old trees that still bloomed; I get it. People who like Auburn like these trees. A misguided fool poisoned these extremely rare trees. I understand this.

I just don't understand how killing trees is worth six months of freedom. Killing people, yes. Torturing animals, sure. But trees? Trees get used and harvested all the time.

Like I said, make him pay for the best replacement trees possible. Make him pay restitution. Ban him from forests.

But six months in the slammer surrounded by murderers, rapists, thieves, and psychopaths?

Seems a bit excessive for killing trees.

It's a campus landmark, the same as the generic clock tower on the inevitably named "Old Main", etc. 6 months is equitable.

And if someone vandalized the clock tower would they get 6 months in jail? I don't believe so. I agree the guy sounds like a lunatic but come on.

Killing of the trees is past simple vandalizing. If someone knocked the clock tower down and left ruins in its place then that would be a more apt comparison. And they would probably receive jail time for that.

Its a shame that this happened I agree. But it is just a tree not a building I understand it had a certain meaning to Auburn students and citizens that lived in that area. I just can't wrap my mind around a 3 year sentence for poisoning a tree.

property damage is property damage.

[B-Rich]

I know a little about valuation of trees, as I serve as the chairman on an architectural/redevelopment review board in a historic neighborhood. The cutting of trees in that neighborhood, even on private property (much less in the public strip of land between the sidewalk and the street in front of a house) cannot be done without governmental review and permission.

 

My two cents: A 30 year-old pine tree in a forest is "just a tree". A Bradford Pear sapling planted to meet landscape requirements for a fast food joint is "just a tree". A 50-year old elm in someone's yard that has to be removed due to disease or termite damage is "just a tree". But live oaks of more than 100 years, especially on public property in a very prominent and symbolic location, is a LOT more than "just a tree". You can't just replace such a tree. There have been instances of large trees being relocated short distances to save them, but it would be nigh-impossible to find a similar sized/type tree in an acceptable distance radius (and with manageable roadway access in terms of road widths and hanging utility wires) to be relocated to that site. There was a live oak tree located near a Dallas, TX interstate that needed to be moved a few years ago. It cost the city more than $100,000 to move it a short distance, which was determined for accounting purposes to be tree's "fair value." Other large and or symbolic trees have been appraised at up to $150,000.

 

If that tree-poisoner were to have blow up the Auburn clock tower, it could have been rebuilt to almost the same specs and appearance within a year. By poisoning and killing the oak trees, he ensured Toomer's Corner will never look even close to the way it did for at least 50 years.

 

So long story short, the best to offer for Auburn is a set of 20-year old live oaks and about 100 years of time. The value of that is immeasurable.

[Sport]

Well there you have it, boys.

[chuckymack]

Well, fine.

That George Washington comment was gold, however.

[The_Admiral]

The history the liberal Jew-run media doesn't let us teach you in school clearly says that after George Washington chopped down that cherry tree, he called the British Parliament, admitted to it, and ended with Roll damn Tide.

[Eye]

Today, we're all trees?

[Cosmic]

I don't have the text of the law in front of me,

I think we would need to look at the actual text before deciding if the text is applicable or not.

I actually just looked for the law, but couldn't find it. The strange thing is, without bothering with the whole "agricultural facility" deal, it seems like they could have just charged him with criminal mischief in the first degree: "

Criminal mischief in the first degree.

(a) A person commits the crime of criminal mischief in the first degree if, with intent to damage property, and having no right to do so or any reasonable ground to believe that he or she has such a right, he or she inflicts damages to property:

(1) In an amount exceeding two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500); or

(2) By means of an explosion.

(3) Criminal mischief in the first degree is a Class C felony." "

Both crimes are Class C felonies, so I don't get it.

[CS85]

If that tree-poisoner were to have blow up the Auburn clock tower, it could have been rebuilt to almost the same specs and appearance within a year.