Judge Orders Boy Who Started Oregon Wildfire To Pay $36 Million In Restitution

[GoodSteward]

Wow, amazing what some of our choices can cause. 36 million?! The judge knows he can't pay it all, but wants him to still pay. Does that mean he owes it his whole life?!

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/22/613374984/judge-orders-boy-who-started-oregon-wildfire-to-pay-36-million-in-restitution

[msomnipotent]

The article states it will be considered paid in 10 years if he doesn't screw up again. Good! I'm all for it. Only he probably won't pay much since he is only 15 years old. He probably won't be a millionaire when he is 25.

God. His mother is quoted as saying this was a trauma for him. You think? It was probably a much bigger trauma for people that lost their homes.

[GoodSteward]

The article states it will be considered paid in 10 years if he doesn't screw up again. Good! I'm all for it.

I see that now, too. I had only read part of it when I posted. I thought it was an interesting article to discuss.

I wonder how much his payment is.

[kork13]

I wonder how much his payment is.

I hope they're not charging interest... Even .05% interest would cost as much as a year of college tuition!

[Smallsteps]

In the article it says he must keep up with the payments in the 10 years plus stay out of trouble.
I over the years have heard of a few of these types of sentences.
I wonder how many ever worked out as far as anyone being even partially reimbursed?

I wish someone would do follow-up articles listing how much if any were paid would be good. It would also be more helpful as a teaching moment if others were aware that the person responsible did have to make some sort of payment even if it ends up being mostly symbolic.
Otherwise this is nothing more then a public feel good move by the court system.

[disneysteve]

Otherwise this is nothing more then a public feel good move by the court system.

Yep. Ordering a 15-year-old, or even his parents, to pay $36 million is just for show. Obviously they aren't ever going to actually pay that. They might make some sort of token payments but it will only be a tiny fraction of that amount if they do.

[GoodSteward]

How does this normally work out? The court pays that much, and the kid only pays a little, so ultimately the court is the one that has to make restitution? Or the people only get what the kid can pay? Either way, it sounds like a broken system for sure.

[disneysteve]

How does this normally work out? The court pays that much, and the kid only pays a little, so ultimately the court is the one that has to make restitution? Or the people only get what the kid can pay? Either way, it sounds like a broken system for sure.

When there is a crazy high award like that, what usually happens is that later, after the appeal, some settlement is reached with an actual realistic number and that's what gets paid. Of course, that never makes the news because it isn't sensationalism. So in this case, they might end up paying a few thousand dollars and doing a bunch of community service.

[james.hendrickson]

I live in Oregon. The gorge fires were a BIG deal. A house was burned, Portland was covered in ash from the fires for two or three days, and state agencies spent a boatload of money protecting tourist building and infrastructure from the fire.

[disneysteve]

I live in Oregon. The gorge fires were a BIG deal.

No doubt. But there's still no way a 15-year-old or his parents can pay $36 million in restitution. That award is purely for show.

[Drake3287]

They even specially said it was the kid that had to pay, not the parent's. Certainly won't add up to much over 10 years.

[disneysteve]

They even specially said it was the kid that had to pay, not the parent's. Certainly won't add up to much over 10 years.

And how exactly is a 15-year-old supposed to pay anything? Mow a few lawns? Babysit? Lemonade stand? Until he's at least done college at 21 or 22, they can't expect to get a whole lot out of him.

[Thrif-t]

So what, how much they get out of him! He can get a workers permit and start working. I don't care if he only makes $50/week he can turn that over and keep having to work for the next 10 years and turn that over too. It might not amount to much but it's something! At least it's a punishment. It's ridicules the stupid things kids do. I know everyone says their brains aren't developed but you know as a parent it's your job to keep pounding stuff into that brain so they will stop and think before they do something.

I know I would've never done anything stupid; I always stopped and worried about what my dad would do. I was afraid of him. But he honestly never laid a hand on me. He didn't have to, his words scared me enough that I wasn't going to see if he would follow thru with his threats.

Parents need to be parents and stop being their kids' friends! Maybe we'd have a better world without all these shootings, fires and what not.

[myrdale]

I really have mixed feelings about this situation.

First and foremost, he will never be able to pay this off. To sue an individual for this much money is just absurd.

If it is just to make a point, well that is pointless.

Additionally I have very little sympathy for people who build homes on the Florida coast and get hit by hurricanes, people who loose their homes to volcanoes, and people who build in areas that are prone to wild fires.

A certain amount of responsibility falls on the home owner to keep a boundary around your house. Keep the wood line so far back, keep straw away from the house, build out of fire resistant materials, be wary of living close enough you can hit your neighbors house with a rock from your front porch.

"The House In The Middle" might be an extreme case but if you live in a location that fires could occur, they will occur!

https://youtu.be/pGJcwaUWNZg

[veronak]

Agree

So what, how much they get out of him! He can get a workers permit and start working. I don't care if he only makes $50/week he can turn that over and keep having to work for the next 10 years and turn that over too. It might not amount to much but it's something! At least it's a punishment. It's ridicules the stupid things kids do. I know everyone says their brains aren't developed but you know as a parent it's your job to keep pounding stuff into that brain so they will stop and think before they do something.

I know I would've never done anything stupid; I always stopped and worried about what my dad would do. I was afraid of him. But he honestly never laid a hand on me. He didn't have to, his words scared me enough that I wasn't going to see if he would follow thru with his threats.

Parents need to be parents and stop being their kids' friends! Maybe we'd have a better world without all these shootings, fires and what not.

I totally agree with this post