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Krista

Teen ordered to pay $36 million after starting wildfire

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When you play with fire, there are bound to be consequences.

For one teenager, that consequence comes with the jarring price tag of $36 million.

On Monday, an Oregon judge ordered the boy, who pleaded guilty to starting the Eagle Creek wildfire last year, to pay $36,618,330.24 in restitution to cover the damages. 

The teen said he tossed fireworks in the woods while hiking on Eagle Creek trail on Sept. 2, 2017, according to court documents obtained by CNN. One of those fireworks ignited the massive wildfire in Oregon, which burned more than 48,000 acres.

The Vancouver, Washington, youth, who was 15 at the time of the incident, appeared at a hearing on Thursday. He is not being named because he's a minor. The 11 claims from the state and other parties totaled $36 million, something the teen's attorney called absurd, according to CNN affiliate KOIN.

The teen's attorney, Jack Morris, said the hefty fine violated the Oregon and US Constitutions, citing the Eighth Amendment, which protects people from excessive fines and "cruel and unusual punishment," according to the judge's written opinion.

Hood River County Circuit Court Judge John A. Olson wrote in his opinion that the judgment doesn't violate the constitution. "The restitution is clearly proportionate to the offense because it does not exceed the financial damages caused by the youth," he wrote.

"I'm satisfied that the restitution ordered in this case bears a sufficient relationship to the gravity of the offenses for which the youth was adjudicated," he wrote.

CNN tried to contact Morris, the defense lawyer, on Monday but he did not call back.

The order says the following organizations and people should be receiving money:

$5,000 to Iris Schenk

$8,111.44 to Allstate Insurance

$31,550.90 to Oregon State Parks

$100,000 to Heuker Properties

$168,000 to Trail Club of Oregon

$1,048,877.52 to Union Pacific Railroad

$1,643,035.38 to Oregon State Fire Marshal

$12,500,000 to Oregon Department of Transportation

$21,113,755 to US Forest Service

If the teen cannot pay the millions in full, the court has said he could establish a pay schedule through the Hood River Juvenile Department.

In February, the teenager apologized in court and was sentenced to five years probation and 1,920 hours of community service with the U.S. Forest Service, reported CNN affiliate KPTV.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/21/us/teen-ordered-to-pay-millions-for-starting-eagle-creek-wildfire-trnd/index.html

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DAMN dead4 But it's still not gonna be enough for all the green that was lost. Who is dumb enough to shoot fireworks off in a middle of a forest? 48,000 acres were lost. You should've been in prison for that.

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On 5/22/2018 at 4:07 AM, Merryem said:

orangu1orangu1 deserved. imagine being so fucking stupid that you light off fireworks in a forest during a dry season.

He was fifteen. of course he knew it wasnt the best idea but what do you expect from someone who is a sophomore in high school? Y'all need to give him a break, he shouldnt charged like that.

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1 hour ago, Moonflower said:

He was fifteen. of course he knew it wasnt the best idea but what do you expect from someone who is a sophomore in high school? Y'all need to give him a break, he shouldnt charged like that.

At fifteen you can drive a car. At fifteen you’re entering your second year of high school. I was fifteen not that long ago. Going into the forest during a dry season, with signs EVERYWHERE saying “no fire”, and launching fireworks into the forest? of course he deserves to be charged. i’m all for being compassionate but given the severity of his stupidity, he’s getting off easy. 

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We've all done stupid things at 15. He should've been punished, but $36 million dollars?!

They pretty much ruined his life. Shame on them. If I were the judge, I would've made him work to restore the areas burned.

This also blatantly violates the eighth amendment for excessive fines. He should appeal. 

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20 hours ago, Merryem said:

At fifteen you can drive a car. At fifteen you’re entering your second year of high school. I was fifteen not that long ago. Going into the forest during a dry season, with signs EVERYWHERE saying “no fire”, and launching fireworks into the forest? of course he deserves to be charged. i’m all for being compassionate but given the severity of his stupidity, he’s getting off easy. 

And you think its okay to charge a fifteen year old 36 million dollars? Yes that was stupid and yes he deserves tp be charges, but just like you guys can defend someone for making a joke that refrenced a singer's death when they were 15, you guys can defend this boy. He doesnt deserve to pay more than 90% of the world's population will make in their lifetimes.

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9 hours ago, Miss Show Business said:

We've all done stupid things at 15. He should've been punished, but $36 million dollars?!

They pretty much ruined his life. Shame on them. If I were the judge, I would've made him work to restore the areas burned.

This also blatantly violates the eighth amendment for excessive fines. He should appeal. 

THANK YOU

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That's a ridiculous amount that he'll never pay back - so why bother slapping him with this "fine" - unless it's simply to make a statement to deter others from doing the same? um2 However - as I often say with crimes committed by kids - WHERE WERE THE PARENTS? What was a 15-year-old doing with fireworks in a forest in the first place um2 Poor little dipshit has had his life ruined at such a young age because of some stupid prank. It's incredibly serious, and dangerous, what he did - but with such a huge debt hanging over him how will he ever get a car, a mortgage etc.? Might as well imprison him - that would somehow be less life-ruining. 

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