http://www.tressugar.com Smart. Sexy. Fun. en http://www.tressugar.com/2516710 <a href="http://www.tressugar.com/2516710"><img width=160 height=107 src='http://media.onsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/47_2008/816c31deccddfa8f_83708701.large.jpg'></div></a><p><span class="inline left"></span>Steven Emory Butcher sleeps in a tent, but the law seems to think he's a millionaire. After setting fires in 2002 and 2006 that destroyed 160,000 acres of national forest, the <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2204925/" target="_blank">homeless man was sentenced to four years in prison and $101 million in fines</a>. </p> <p>While in prison, the arsonist will have to pay $100 each year toward his fine. Once he's out, he must contribute $50 a month for the rest of his life. Right now Steven lives on government disability insurance, but if he gets a job, his payments will be adjusted accordingly. </p> <p>Since the law requires anyone who has damaged property repay the cost of the lost property to the victim, the judge ignored how much Steven could afford. While it's crucial to send a message to arsonists that such destructive and dangerous activity will be punished, do you think the punishment fit the crime in this case?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> <!-- no strip poll --><form action="/2516710" method="post" id="epoll_view_voting"> <div><div class="poll"> <div class="vote-form"> <div class="choices"><div class="form-item"> <label>Justice Served? Homeless Arsonist Ordered to Pay $101 Million </label> <div class="form-item"> <label for="id-0-2516710" class="option"><input type="radio" id="id-0-2516710" name="edit[choice]" value="0-2516710" class="form-radio" /> Yes. He did the crime, now he's gotta do the time, and pay the fine. </label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label for="id-1-2516710" class="option"><input type="radio" id="id-1-2516710" name="edit[choice]" value="1-2516710" class="form-radio" /> No. Making this man pay for the rest of his life is cruel and unusual punishment. </label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label for="id-2-2516710" class="option"><input type="radio" id="id-2-2516710" name="edit[choice]" value="2-2516710" class="form-radio" /> Maybe. The victim is not an individual, so they should consider the convict's income. </label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label for="id-3-2516710" class="option"><input type="radio" id="id-3-2516710" name="edit[choice]" value="3-2516710" class="form-radio" /> Other. I'll tell you in the comments. </label> </div> </div> </div><input type="hidden" name="edit[nid]" id="edit-nid" value="2516710" /> <span class='button'><span><input class='fancybutton' type='submit' name="op" value="Vote" class="form-submit" /></span></span> </div><input type="hidden" name="edit[form_id]" id="edit-form_id" value="epoll_view_voting" /> </div> </div></form> <!-- no strip poll --> http://www.tressugar.com/2516710#comment News Wildfires Citizen Poll Law Headline Homelessness Steven Emory Butcher Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:01:00 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.tressugar.com/2516710