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Eco-arsonist is sentenced
Thursday, August 02, 2007 | No comments posted.
EUGENE (AP) - A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced the last of 10 radical environmentalists convicted of arson to just over four years in prison for his role in burning down a horse slaughterhouse in central Oregon.
U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken stuck to her initial sentence of 51 months for Jonathan Paul after a two-month delay to hear arguments for a lesser term.
Aiken dismissed the arguments from Paul's attorney, Marc Blackman. She also told Paul and his attorney that they, like the other nine defendants, “should thank their lucky stars that there were plea agreements in this case,” suggesting that all of them could have been sentenced to longer terms.
Paul, 41, had pleaded guilty to conspiracy and arson for a fire that destroyed a horse slaughterhouse in Redmond in July 1997.
He was a member of a radical environmental cell of the Earth Liberation Front that was called “The Family.” His sentencing caps an investigation into a string of arsons across five Western states from 1996 to 2001.
Paul made a statement in court in which he renounced his involvement with arson.
He also promised to continue working on environmental issues and animal rights.
Paul is the younger brother of twin sisters Alexandra Paul, a star of the former TV series “Baywatch,” and Caroline Paul, an author and former San Francisco firefighter.
U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken stuck to her initial sentence of 51 months for Jonathan Paul after a two-month delay to hear arguments for a lesser term.
Aiken dismissed the arguments from Paul's attorney, Marc Blackman. She also told Paul and his attorney that they, like the other nine defendants, “should thank their lucky stars that there were plea agreements in this case,” suggesting that all of them could have been sentenced to longer terms.
Paul, 41, had pleaded guilty to conspiracy and arson for a fire that destroyed a horse slaughterhouse in Redmond in July 1997.
He was a member of a radical environmental cell of the Earth Liberation Front that was called “The Family.” His sentencing caps an investigation into a string of arsons across five Western states from 1996 to 2001.
Paul made a statement in court in which he renounced his involvement with arson.
He also promised to continue working on environmental issues and animal rights.
Paul is the younger brother of twin sisters Alexandra Paul, a star of the former TV series “Baywatch,” and Caroline Paul, an author and former San Francisco firefighter.
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