A Project of Sage Steppe Wild
Bogus bidder: BLM auction monkey-wrencher faces two felonies. Drilling . U. student hoped for mercy from Obama’s team, but no luck. By Patty Henetz. The Salt Lake Tribune.
Added 4/4/2009. Did DeChristopher’s outspokenness seal his fate? By Patty Henetz. The Salt Lake Tribune.
Is prosecution Salazar’s way of telling critics, “don’t mess with us?”
by
Tags:
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan’s Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of “Hiking Idaho.” He also wrote “Beyond the Tetons” and “Backpacking Wyoming’s Teton and Washakie Wilderness.” He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
Comments
“Yes” on prosecuting DeChristopher, “No” on prosecuting Bush & Company ?! 🙁
No kidding!
move on folks, bush isnt running things, yall’s boy is calling shots,,,
Lemme see here,
In one instance a person (or maybe persons) is charged with harming an endangered critter — based only on the published search warrant (no trial, no hearing, Nada) folks here think that the folk(s) accused should be tarred and feathered at least and some would be for execution.
Not so in the other case — this person admits/brags about flaunting federal law and (no trial, no hearing, Nada) is summarily declared a “folk hero”!!
Not much consistency!! 8)
“..Decristopher said he knew of several instances where individual’s did not pay the money for their bids….” I mentioned this on this blog when this first happened. I’m sure businesses default on this type of thing all the time. NOBODY SEES A PROBLEM WITH NOT PROSECUTING OIL COMPANIES, BUT PROSECUTING A “LITTLE GUY”??!!! This actually makes my blood boil! Our nation does not exist to serve the interests of the energy companies, or does it? Holy crap! I hope he gets off. I know Bush, Cheney, and all of their associates have so far. Look at what happened to Ted Stevens—he even did it—and still got off!
I generally not a stickler for political correctness but
“Y’all’s boy” seems out of line.
There are a lot of people that admit and brag about flaunting federal laws (or any laws for that matter) and my guess is that only an incredibly small fraction are even investigated much less charged
ChrisH – It seems we must have a few bigots on here just to stir the pot.
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_12068209
It appears our idiot of a Federal attorney wants our bogus bidder to plea down to only 5 years in prison. Now that is a punishment that fits the crime. NOT! The Fed’s are out to destroy this guys life. A quick Google on our U.S. Attorney for Utah Brett Tolman, shows you what kind of scum we have running the shop.
Thanks jdubya,
Tolman’s history and background tell me he hates anyone who challenges concentrated political or economic power, no matter how corrupt they may be.
I am not saying this kid should go to jail, but I would ask the question, what would you feel is an appropriate punishment for the act of willful fraud? As far as oil companies defaulting, there is a difference in bidding when you have the means to pay for your bid and bidding knowing full well you don’t have the means to pay for the parcels won…
I fully understand and have participated in acts of civil disobedience but I have never signed my name on documents knowing at the start I was telling a lie and making fraudulent statements…
Like I said, I don’t feel jail time is warranted in this matter but would wonder what everyone feels is appropriate?
And it has nothing to do with Bush, nothing to do with Obama, it simply has to do with the willful act of committing fraud and then admitting you did it…
Save Bears, I am damn hot about this because it is just so unnecessary. It is a complete waste of time and money to persecute (er, prosecute) this guy. Sure, sit him down, rough him up a bit, but go to a grand jury? Put a felony or two around his neck? Why? What purpose is served? How can the time, effort and money be justified? Why not just beef up security for the next auction to make sure a new bogus bidder can’t enter the fray? In reality, they should have never let him in the room to bid (or at least acknowledged he could bid).
Meanwhile, in the same week, we have a guy who is driving his BMW too fast with his girl friend in his lap, he crosses the road and damn near kills a friend of a friend who was riding his bike on the side of the road. The driver gets out of the car to see what he has done, stares at the broken and bleeding body, and jumps in his car, driving away. He stashes his car in his mommy’s garage for a week (uhh, I hit a deer) until the cops track him down. In Utah, this guy will be charged with misdemeanors for reckless driving, tampering and obstructing. His girl friend and mommy are not even charged.
I realize I am comparing apples and oranges but on one hand the county DA is kicking out this driver with a tap on the wrist while the bogus bidder gets 5 years in a federal jail cell. Our legal system sucks big time.
What should we do with him? This guy is obviously bright, talented, passionate,and articulate. Those qualities shouldn’t be wasted by incarcerating him.
Community service would be my suggestion…..restoration work in areas destroyed by grazing or oil/gas exploitation, environmental education for a group like NROL,volunteering for a “principled” non-profit like WesternWatersheds or BFC…hell, I happen to like people that “break the rules”(within limits..added so I don’t get slammed too badly by Save Bears). More often than not, they’re the ones that affect change and they’re the ones that question authority.
I happen to like people that “break the rules”(within reason)…more times than not, they’re the ones that affect positive change.
Woops, a repeat comment above that you can disregard.
Jerry b,
I am not slamming anyone, I am asking a legitimate question. I already said, I didn’t think jail was appropriate in this situation…
I do however find a difference between willfully breaking the law and admitting it and “Questioning” authority, I am only saying those are two different things.
I still don’t understand your “Slammed by SaveBears” statement, there is a big difference between “Slamming” and having an opinion…
Everyone,
Please note the new story I just posted on this.
RM
Save Bears…my apologies, I misread your comment.
Do you consider your “civil disobedience” breaking the law? I look at his actions as being more akin to civil disobedience. I also have participated in civil disobedience and I knew that I was breaking the law when I did it. Oh.. “The good ole’days!”
Jerry B,
I believe there is different levels of Civil Disobedience, of which I have participated in many acts of CD over the years, we have trespassed, blocked commerce, blocked loggers and I have been arrested and such, did a bit of community service over the years..
I actually think charging this kid with felonies is a bit overboard, I would think it would be a count of misdemeanor obstruction of something of that nature..
I don’t agree with breaking the law and I don’t consider this kid a “Criminal” but fraud is a bit more serious than blocking commerce and such, I would hope he would end up with perhaps some community service and maybe some probation..
And yes, I agree, those were the good ole’ days! LOL
Save Bears–I don’t understand your distinction other than “having money” which seems to be too ultra-important in these post-Bush times. If a company goes out of business or declares bankruptcy and defaults on a bid the government loses money either way. Also, companies in the drilling and mining business ROUTINELY go bankrupt or out of business BEFORE they clean up their environmental messes, which forces the government to then clean up the mess (if it ever gets cleaned up!) I know you are trying to make a moral distinction, but I don’t believe one should be made in this situation given the other facts. Don’t discount the effects of environmental degredation in this business—no sympathy should be given to the poor drilling companies that “lost out”. They get enough of our tax dollars and legislative benefits.
jimbob,
don’t read more into then there is, I don’t care about the energy companies, This has nothing to do with companies going bankrupt or them cleaning their messes up.
All to often, I see people taking a thread in a completely different direction than the original intent of a question or a story was…
Again, I have no sympathy for oil or drilling companies.