You break it, you buy it. Teen learns the hard way.
 

The part about letting him have a pay schedule made me laugh.

In all seriousness, how do you punish someone for a crime like this? Prison seems off target (maybe), but $36 million is basically a life sentence. Maybe that's appropriate, but it was one bad decision by a 15 year old.


https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/21/us/te...rnd/index.html

Teen who started fire that burned 48,000 acres ordered to pay $36 million

When you play with fire, there are bound to be consequences.

For one teenager, that consequence comes with the jarring price tag of $36 million.

On Monday, an Oregon judge ordered the boy, who pleaded guilty to starting the Eagle Creek wildfire last year, to pay $36,618,330.24 in restitution to cover the damages.

The teen said he tossed fireworks in the woods while hiking on Eagle Creek trail on Sept. 2, 2017, according to court documents obtained by CNN. One of those fireworks ignited the massive wildfire in Oregon, which burned more than 48,000 acres.

The Vancouver, Washington, youth, who was 15 at the time of the incident, appeared at a hearing on Thursday. He is not being named because he's a minor. The 11 claims from the state and other parties totaled $36 million, something the teen's attorney called absurd, according to CNN affiliate KOIN.

The teen's attorney, Jack Morris, said the hefty fine violated the Oregon and US Constitutions, citing the Eighth Amendment, which protects people from excessive fines and "cruel and unusual punishment," according to the judge's written opinion.

Hood River County Circuit Court Judge John A. Olson wrote in his opinion that the judgment doesn't violate the constitution. "The restitution is clearly proportionate to the offense because it does not exceed the financial damages caused by the youth," he wrote.

"I'm satisfied that the restitution ordered in this case bears a sufficient relationship to the gravity of the offenses for which the youth was adjudicated," he wrote.

CNN tried to contact Morris, the defense lawyer, on Monday but he did not call back.

The order says the following organizations and people should be receiving money:

$5,000 to Iris Schenk
$8,111.44 to Allstate Insurance
$31,550.90 to Oregon State Parks
$100,000 to Heuker Properties
$168,000 to Trail Club of Oregon
$1,048,877.52 to Union Pacific Railroad
$1,643,035.38 to Oregon State Fire Marshal
$12,500,000 to Oregon Department of Transportation
$21,113,755 to US Forest Service

If the teen cannot pay the millions in full, the court has said he could establish a pay schedule through the Hood River Juvenile Department.

In February, the teenager apologized in court and was sentenced to five years probation and 1,920 hours of community service with the U.S. Forest Service, reported CNN affiliate KPTV.

generation Y folks.

Hey, it's not like he screwed his teacher or anything...

I'm curious about the conversation he and his parents had afterwards. Parents, what do you say to your kid when he's just been ordered to pay $36 million in restitution? This is a genuine question, not a rhetorical one.

"I ain't payin it"

So doesn't that go away once he hits 19? It was my understanding that if you are being charged as a minor they can't "punish" you past the age of 19. Not sure if that applies here or if I even have my facts straight.

Time to move to Me-hi-co.

From what I read his pay will be garnished for either 10 or 15 years. Then it is done. So at best he pays 100k back.

Then we take it with blood

I hope Iris is first and not last on the list.

Union Pacific Railroad definitely needs the money. Railroads have never gouged anyone ever.

No shit. Zero reason to stay in the US at that point.

Me too. Wonder what her damages were?

I googled, it seems like she lost her home to the fire. I can only assume the 5k is her insurance deductible? Lost almost all their belongings.. sucks.

Oh that sux. For that low dollar amount I figured it was something like an outbuilding or a dressage training course.
Good looking up skills on part though, thanks.