Waters guilty of arson in UW case
Accused lookout facing 5 to 20 years in prison
By VANESSA HOP-I REPORTER
Accused lookout facing 5 to 20 years in prison
By VANESSA HOP-I REPORTER
TACOMA -- Seven years after the radical Earth Liberation Front firebombed the University of Washington's Center for Urban Horticulture, a federal jury on Thursday convicted the accused lookout, Briana Waters, of two counts of arson.
A former Evergreen State College student, Waters, 32, had been charged with five criminal counts, including conspiracy and use and possession of a destructive device, which could have put her behind bars for at least 35 years.
The jury deadlocked on those counts, and Waters now faces five to 20 years in prison.
Afterward, one juror said Waters' 3-year-old daughter weighed on the deliberations, which took four days. A pretty, fresh-faced violin teacher from Oakland, Calif., Waters had repeatedly referred to her daughter, Kalliope, when testifying that she did not help plan the fire and was not at the crime scene.
"It was clearly emotional," said the juror, who declined to give his name. "At the time (of the crime), she didn't have a daughter, but now she does."
Prosecutors said the burning of the research center was part of a six-year arson rampage by regional members of ELF and another group, the Animal Liberation Front. Their fires, which began in 1996, caused $20 million in damage, destroying a Colorado ski resort, sport utility vehicles and genetic engineering labs.
Of the five people charged in the UW fire, Waters was the only person to stand trial. Two defendants pleaded guilty and testified against her for reduced sentences. Another became a fugitive. The fourth killed himself soon after he was arrested.
WHAT A GREAT VERDICT...
4 comments:
Didn't we learn anything from McCarthyism? Don't buy into the Green Scare, folks. Otherwise YOUR children will be wondering how you could be be such a bunch of morons for buying into it the new McCarthyism.
People saving their own necks by pointing guilty fingers at others is nothing new and isn't proof of guilt.
McCarthyism didn't happen that long ago people, wake up.
anon-I guess other people's hard earned money means nothing to you...in case you were so ignorant, destruction of property that doesn't belong to you is called theft...and McCarthy was more right than you know.
tmw
First, Welcome to my blog, and thank you for your comments.
Second, the E.L.F. seems to hang out around Seattle. They are consistently doing something stupid in the name of "helping."
Argh. I live in Oakland, California. I just recently rented 'The Weather Underground' documentary in which a group of young people from the 60's to the early 80's were blowing up buildings across the country because they thought it was revolutionary.
I just want to say that I believe that some revolutions should begin with the self-instead of adding more destruction to the globe-add something good to the world. I mean really, Briana could have been even more revolutionary and taught free violin workshops or had violinists go to retirement homes and play for those old folks that are just lonely in their apartments. Now that is revolutionary!
I don't think burning that University was productive for anyone involved.
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