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Former college professor accused of serial arson is denied bail in California

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Re: Former college professor accused of serial arson is denied bail in California

#11

Post by trynumber9 »

ZanyProgrammer wrote: post #4

Granted I live on the west coast and fires have been very much on my mind in the past few years, but I do wholeheartedly support the most draconian punishments for arsonists who start wild fires. It’s going to have to be a part of our climate changed future to deter criminals.

I think rehabilitation should be prioritized where improvement is possible. Reading about his alleged behavior -- muttering, pulling a knife on a witness who was trying to help him and agitated outbursts -- this seems like some mental issue that could be helped in time.

Re: Former college professor accused of serial arson is denied bail in California

#12

Post by gruez »

ZanyProgrammer wrote: post #4

Granted I live on the west coast and fires have been very much on my mind in the past few years, but I do wholeheartedly support the most draconian punishments for arsonists who start wild fires. It’s going to have to be a part of our climate changed future to deter criminals.

>It’s going to have to be a part of our climate changed future to deter criminals.

How's that strategy working out for deterring murderers and drug dealers?

Re: Former college professor accused of serial arson is denied bail in California

#13

Post by alksjdalkj »

donthurtme wrote: post #5

Two points here: - It's interesting how his academic background in criminology is in an area tangentially related to his own alleged social deviance -- maybe a "call of the void" type deal, in the sense that (anecdotally) some people who have a lifetime academic fixation on particular subject matter eventually reveal that it is somehow linked to their own deviant obsessions with it. - It's also interesting how many l…

There's a whole list of LEAs here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_law_enforcement_in_the.... I guess laws that are specific to just one department of the executive branch have to be enforced by the corresponding LEA from that department?

Re: Former college professor accused of serial arson is denied bail in California

#14

Post by csomar »

hindsightbias wrote: post #6
anm89 wrote: post #2

Curious how and why they were tracking this guy initially. It seems like this would be the most difficult crime to prove. Not against throwing the book at him if there is substantial proof.

The affidavit is pretty thorough, even before pulling his cell phone info. "A Forest Service fire investigator determined the Cascade Fire was likely the result of arson. He also noticed that on a dirt road 150 to 200 yards from the fire, a man was struggling to free his car, a black Kia Soul, after the vehicle's rear had failed to clear a partially buried boulder." If you're going to be a wildlands arsonist, best to…

So the whole proof is that he was there at the time? Shouldn't there be more proof especially that they are linking him to "all" the fires now?

Re: Former college professor accused of serial arson is denied bail in California

#15

Post by yumraj »

gruez wrote: post #12
ZanyProgrammer wrote: post #4

Granted I live on the west coast and fires have been very much on my mind in the past few years, but I do wholeheartedly support the most draconian punishments for arsonists who start wild fires. It’s going to have to be a part of our climate changed future to deter criminals.

>It’s going to have to be a part of our climate changed future to deter criminals. How's that strategy working out for deterring murderers and drug dealers?

We don't have data to say that it's not working.

Re: Former college professor accused of serial arson is denied bail in California

#16

Post by trynumber9 »

boomboomsubban wrote: post #10

Not the point of the story, but a college professor with three masters and a doctorate was enrolled in the EBT program. I'm sure people will doubt the use of several of his masters degrees, theater arts in particular, but that's still nuts.

Difficult to hold a job with what is apparently untreated mental illness.

Re: Former college professor accused of serial arson is denied bail in California

#17

Post by btkramer9 »

gruez wrote: post #12
ZanyProgrammer wrote: post #4

Granted I live on the west coast and fires have been very much on my mind in the past few years, but I do wholeheartedly support the most draconian punishments for arsonists who start wild fires. It’s going to have to be a part of our climate changed future to deter criminals.

>It’s going to have to be a part of our climate changed future to deter criminals. How's that strategy working out for deterring murderers and drug dealers?

It will probably work as well as it does for murderers. There's not really a demand for murder so there's not continually new people filling their shoes when they get arrested.

Drug dealers on the other hand will never go away no matter how many you arrest. There will always be more people willing to buy drugs and a new dealer ready to step up and make a profit.

Re: Former college professor accused of serial arson is denied bail in California

#18

Post by 46756e »

donthurtme wrote: post #5

Two points here: - It's interesting how his academic background in criminology is in an area tangentially related to his own alleged social deviance -- maybe a "call of the void" type deal, in the sense that (anecdotally) some people who have a lifetime academic fixation on particular subject matter eventually reveal that it is somehow linked to their own deviant obsessions with it. - It's also interesting how many l…

Only slightly related, but how many real "call of the void" situations are really that? Most seem to be retrospective observations. For example, a criminal studying criminology because they like crime. Then when they are caught people suggest they were tempted by their studies, switching the causation.

The only situations I can really think of is more of like "stare long enough into the void and it stares back" where people fight an injustice long enough that they start to justify extreme measures to fight it. For example, like assuming all people accused of a crime are likely guilty so suspending privacy or searching people without cause is fine.

Re: Former college professor accused of serial arson is denied bail in California

#19

Post by throwaway_dcnt »

thghtihadanacct wrote: post #9
TrainedMonkey wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you also support draconian punishments for people and organizations who blocked controlled burns and other wildfire control measures?

You trolling? You know that wasnt their intention and was disingenuous of you to play it that way.

Some of this was done out of greed and political corruption so that developers could build more unaffordable housing for the wealthy - I would say the gp has some merit in their comment.

Re: Former college professor accused of serial arson is denied bail in California

#20

Post by trynumber9 »

csomar wrote: post #14
hindsightbias wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The affidavit is pretty thorough, even before pulling his cell phone info. "A Forest Service fire investigator determined the Cascade Fire was likely the result of arson. He also noticed that on a dirt road 150 to 200 yards from the fire, a man was struggling to free his car, a black Kia Soul, after the vehicle's rear had failed to clear a partially buried boulder." If you're going to be a wildlands arsonist, best to…

So the whole proof is that he was there at the time? Shouldn't there be more proof especially that they are linking him to "all" the fires now?

No, just read it. That incident had nearby suspicious fire remants. Combined with his unusual behavior and similar car tracks being found at another fire was their basis for further tracking of the alleged arsonist.
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