CA. hunter fined $18.2 million

[ZAMBONIMAN]

Just read it on msn.com....
This guy, Jason Hoskey of Willows, Ca. was fined $18.2 million for starting the fire in Mendosino National Forest. It cost $33M to suppress the fire and he is banned from the National Forest for 5 years. It says he got lost while hunting and started a fire, it got out of control when he fell asleep.
What a bummer.........

 

[ELKCHSR]

That will happen, I would really wish a lot more jumped on the band wagon on things to do and not to do when and if lost.
But you can't teach them all, or those that don't want it...

 

[Tom]

how?

Man, I bet his wife is pissed. How do you pay $18 million plus?

 

[MarvB]

Yupp Zman...was in the local paper this morning;

REDDING, Calif. - A lost hunter who started a forest fire in northern California while trying to keep warm was ordered to pay $18.2 million in restitution Wednesday.

The fire in the Mendocino National Forest burned 6,058 acres and cost $33 million to suppress, authorities said. The restitution covers the U.S. Forest Service's cost of fighting the fire and restoring the burned area, prosecutors said.

Jason Hoskey, 26, of Willows, lit a campfire when he got lost hunting on Sept. 27, 2003. The fire spread after he fell asleep.

Flames had been banned in the area because of extreme fire danger. Prosecutors said Hoskey also violated the ban by smoking several cigarettes.

Hoskey pleaded no contest in September to a federal misdemeanor of leaving a fire burning or unattended.

Besides the restitution ordered at his sentencing, Hoskey was banned from the Mendocino National Forest for five years.

Willows (the town he's from) is just south of here and the Mendo NF is along the coast southwest of Redding. Hard to say what the actual "settlement" will be but it would suck to be him. They come down really hard on fire danger up here due to some of the disasters they've had in recent years...

 

[ELKCHSR]

I think it is called "Bankruptcy" Tom.
I believe you can do such when the bill hits that amount

 

[MarvB]

Actually Russ they will likely calculate a monthly settlement based on what the fellas cost of living is and then garnish the rest (will never catch up though) and any other monies he might ever be entitled to (inheritance for example). I doubt that the bankruptcy card can be played here.

There are certain stipulations that cannot be considered for bankruptcy, like a liability judgement/fine, and I would imagine that this case would fall under that as such. It's kind of like when someone commits bodily harm and there is a civil suit judgement that is rendered- the person can't simply say I'm bankrupt and go about his business as there is a big difference between a creditor vs. debtor and a plaintiff vs. defendant.

This got me wondering about that gal that (I believe) worked for the Forest Service in CO and started that fire a couple of years back saying she was made a her boyfriend or some chit? I think that she ended up with (as there was someone killed or seriously injured fighting that blaze) getting hit with 5 years and $14-15 mil in suppression fines.

Moral of story .... don't mess with Smokey or be wiling to leave the gene pool.

 

[BuzzH]

MarvB, actually I think that Terry Barton ending up getting a reduced sentence and is either out...or will be out shortly after only serving a few months. Also, there wasnt anyone killed directly on the fire, I think a shot crew bought the farm in a vehicle accident going to the fire.

Typically what happens is that nothing, or very little is paid back. They either plead hardship to a judge or work under the table...

These cases are pretty complicated as far as restitution and collecting restitution...liability, etc.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

No sense having two threads on the same topic - see "The high cost of getting lost in California" for this discussion.