| Submit your comments on this article | ||||
| Home Front: WoT | ||||
| L.A. man fined, jailed for torching SUVs | ||||
| 2005-04-19 | ||||
A 24-year-old Los Angeles man was ordered to pay $3.5 million in restitution and spend more than eight years in jail for vandalizing and torching SUVs. U.S. District Judge Gary Klausner rejected defense calls for leniency in sentencing Caltech physics student William Cottrell, 24, whose professors described as incredibly brilliant.
Additional: At his trial, the prosecution had accused Cottrell of "arrogance" and a "towering superiority" toward people who did not share his environmental views. Cottrell had testified that SUV dealers were evil. The judge said he felt sorry for Cottrell, a doctoral candidate in the physics department at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, but he had only himself to blame. "What a talent to have wasted," Klausner said. Vandals used spray-paint to deface the vehicles with slogans such as "Fat, Lazy Americans," "polluter" and "ELF," for Earth Liberation Front, a radical environmental group. Prosecutors estimated the total damage at $2.3 million. Defense lawyers argued that Cottrell had agreed with two friends to spray-paint vehicles, but was surprised when they began to hurl Molotov cocktails. Cottrell was arrested in March 2004 after authorities tracked e-mails sent to the Los Angeles Times. The sender said he was involved in the SUV attacks and affiliated with the Earth Liberation Front.
| ||||
| Posted by:Steve |
| #33 I thought Einstein worked for the Patent Office when he wasn't in academia. He also (along with a bunch of other theoretical physicists) helped invent a new type of refrigerator. |
| Posted by: Phil Fraering 2005-04-19 9:02:18 PM |
| #32 MacNails: As passing a group of young asian lads playing cricket on the street , I was hurled abuse at and a couple of stones were thrown at me , along with some racial abuse (received no injury).. Pakis? Or Indians? |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-04-19 8:48:52 PM |
| #31 The limites are over there, in the next county. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-04-19 7:34:35 PM |
| #30 MacNails - My Dad has always said that anyone can get even. It takes an artist to get revenge. Plan accordingly, you must.... Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2005-04-19 7:10:33 PM |
| #29 I can hear it now. . . "Hey College Boy, C'MEER!!" Can't you just feel the love? BWAHAHAHAH |
| Posted by: Doc8404 2005-04-19 6:57:20 PM |
| #28 I am sure he they will love his brains out in lock up. I bet Billy thought he was going to see some action from that girlfriend and now he is going to be that girlfriend. Maybe they will make him a professor when he gets out of prison? He could do his new doctorial thesis on prison rape and tell everyone its about control and not about the sex. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2005-04-19 6:19:15 PM |
| #27 And we're trying to figure out just where the |
| Posted by: .com 2005-04-19 4:54:26 PM |
| #26 Don't do that again Remote Man, even RB has limits. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-04-19 4:50:51 PM |
| #25 ...that's why Einstein never advanced beyond post office clerk... Er, what? Out in the real world, Angie, is what I intended to convey. Full professor at Princeton, acknowledged leading thinker in the field of theoretical physics, but he still didn't know where he lived, and counted on the kindness of strangers to guide him home after he'd finished a thought. I have to admit it's a problem I suffer from, too, although without the compensating genius, darn it! But I seem to be better at choosing my friends, and so don't need the kind of cloister that would best suite darling Billy. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-04-19 4:24:03 PM |
| #24 MacNails - Your anger is understood all too well. But you have to pick your battles wisely when the option's available. A little creative thinking may provide easier ways to have others exact a more meaningful price from those thugeens. |
| Posted by: Tkat 2005-04-19 3:34:24 PM |
| #23 MacN - Keep your powder dry. Don't do a Cottrell. |
| Posted by: thibaud (aka lex) 2005-04-19 3:17:49 PM |
| #22 I aint the youngest apple on the branch , but today I had a fairly ugly encounter on the way back from work .. on with the plot ..... As passing a group of young asian lads playing cricket on the street , I was hurled abuse at and a couple of stones were thrown at me , along with some racial abuse (received no injury)..I decided it wasnt in my health to stop and argue the point , as they had two cricket bats visible and god knows what other weapons hidden and I was considerably outnumbered at least 20 to 1 .. Now , I have seen them about before in that neighbourhood , and they all take pride in their flashy cars .. I have 3 litres of brake fluid , that I think should be deposited on their precise motors late some night .. How do you interpret that ? Prison doesnt actually scare me (been there , done that when younger) as much as walking the streets nowadays ... I just want to work , eat and play , but if I get pushed around once more in my country of origin then I might decide to take matters into my own hands .. One very very very annoyed MacNails , signing out . |
| Posted by: MacNails 2005-04-19 3:13:42 PM |
| #21 Well, he was only a doctoral candidate in the physics department, how was he to know you can trace a e-mail? Oh my God that's embarrassing. So these all these"incredibly brilliant"students can come-up with is Molotov cocktails... We used to use nitrogen bombs (er, for deterrence only--never had to use them in combat). Dirt cheap to produce, big noise, non-flammable, damage to suit. ...that's why Einstein never advanced beyond post office clerk... Er, what? |
| Posted by: Angie Schultz 2005-04-19 3:10:33 PM |
| #20 ordered to pay $3.5 million in restitution Billy ought to look into one'a them thar consolidation loans. |
| Posted by: BH 2005-04-19 1:02:22 PM |
| #19 Lots of brains and not much sense. Got hornswoggled by bad companions, didya Billie? Had no idea those evil ELF recruiters might try and lock you in to the organization through a compromising criminal act? Uh-huh. Dipshit. That's an OLD commie ploy. Sucker has whiskers on it.... |
| Posted by: mojo 2005-04-19 12:51:39 PM |
| #18 Billy don't be a hero, don't be a fool with your life.... Billy has a new name...bitch. |
| Posted by: Remoteman 2005-04-19 12:15:41 PM |
| #17 Don't they understand what spray paint does to the atmosphere. Burning cars arn't any better. Another proves that intelligence + educational credentials do not equal common sense. |
| Posted by: BrerRabbit 2005-04-19 12:09:05 PM |
| #16 "was ordered to pay $3.5 million in restitution" All of a sudden my debt seems minuscule. |
| Posted by: Poison Reverse 2005-04-19 11:52:04 AM |
| #15 Silly Billy.. he trusted someone else's girlfriend when she batted her eyes at him. |
| Posted by: Dishman 2005-04-19 11:15:40 AM |
| #14 Awwwwwwwwwwwwww. Looks like his buddies threw brilliant boy under the bus. It is with deep regret that ELP has to announce that William "Billy" Cottrell has testified against others at his trial. Earlier this week, William "Billy" Cottrell testified that he had been present at the scene of an Earth Liberation Front action. He admitted to painting ELF slogans and to causing criminal damage. However he then went onto say that he did not start any fires and named two people, Tyler Johnson and Michie Oe, who he claims were responsible for the fires. It should be noted that, as has been proven time and time again, you can not trust the word of a police informant, as they will happily name innocent people to get themselves off the hook and no charges have ever been bought against Tyler or Michie, although the FBI have now named them as "fugitive co-conspirators". A full report on Cottrell's trial will appear in the next issue of "Spirit of Freedom (January 2005)" and ELP will be putting out a joint statement with the former "Free Billy Support Network" in the next few days, after Cottrell has been sentenced. (The "Free Billy Support Network" has been dissolved because of Cottrell's decision to blame others).However as of now Cottrell is regarded as a police informant and will receive no more support from ELP. ELP would like to apologize to all those who have supported Cottrell and we would remind everyone that although Cottrell has turned traitor there are many other good prisoners who need our support and we hope this will not put you off supporting them. Too bad, so sad, Billy boy... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-04-19 11:11:07 AM |
| #13 So he studies standing up, heh. ;-) |
| Posted by: .com 2005-04-19 11:03:35 AM |
| #12 thta $3.5 million judgement ain't going away soon, either |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-04-19 10:59:06 AM |
| #11 you guys all have rehabilitation and productive life ahead in mind. I'd just as soon the bruthas beat him up 3 times a day for torching hummers, escalades, and other 'whips' |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-04-19 10:58:04 AM |
| #10 He can set the precedent that the prison library can be good for more than turning out jailhouse lawyers. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-04-19 10:55:21 AM |
| #9 Let him change his dissertation topic to something in the area of theoretical physics, where it's all in his head anyway. Without all the distractions of the real world, he will no doubt finish his work in jig time, and be able to start using his brilliance to make real contributions to the field. Some people are not able to function amongst the distractions of the real world -- that's why Einstein never advanced beyond post office clerk, nor was able to be a good husband to either of his wives. In fact, it may be a service to this brilliant youngster to keep him cloistered away for the rest of his life, that he might continue to do his work undistracted. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-04-19 10:47:18 AM |
| #8 Sounds like a Unabomber wannabe to me. Well, you know...without the endearing quirks... |
| Posted by: Quana 2005-04-19 10:33:45 AM |
| #7 Intelligence is very sexy. I'm sure his cellmate Bubba feels that way. Hey, William--how many newtons do you think your ass can handle? |
| Posted by: Dar 2005-04-19 10:31:50 AM |
| #6 The little twerp is a criminal, terrorist, and idiot. On the anniversary of the bombing in Oklahoma City it is good to hear we are taking the activities of these lesser creeps more seriously. |
| Posted by: Tkat 2005-04-19 10:15:12 AM |
| #5 Vandals used spray-paint to deface the vehicles with slogans such as "Fat, Lazy Americans," "polluter" and "ELF," for Earth Liberation Front, a radical environmental group. Prosecutors estimated the total damage at $2.3 million. Too bad these jerks couldn't be exiled to some other country. If they don't like "Americans", they should go somewhere else. Preferably permanently. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-04-19 10:13:04 AM |
| #4 "Caltech physics student William Cottrell, 24, whose professors described as incredibly brilliant".So these all these"incredibly brilliant"students can come-up with is Molotov cocktails,betcha' Mommy and Daddy are incredibly pissed. |
| Posted by: raptor 2005-04-19 9:42:59 AM |
| #3 so, where did his compatriots flee to? Oh Canada.... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-04-19 9:35:39 AM |
| #2 You know, there's nothing dumber than an incredibly brilliant person who's spent their entire life within the educational system and thinks they're smart as a result. |
| Posted by: Phil Fraering 2005-04-19 9:30:54 AM |
| #1 Yes. Incredibly brilliant. Now incredibly broke. Soon to have an incredibly sore asshole... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-04-19 9:28:46 AM |