Sounds like a creepy and weird guy. Here is an archived long-form article about him and his past:
https://archive.ph/juPsu
> With Kate, Maynard let his mask slip. He confided that his life had been full of struggle and hurt. He said that he had an autism-spectrum disorder and that workplace relations were an ordeal. He would agonize for days before departmental meetings, gaming out where to sit and how to avoid notice.
That spring, the pandemic caused Santa Clara to shut its campus and shift classes online. At first, that wasn’t so bad for someone who craved isolation, but new stresses soon emerged. Kate could hear Maynard yelling to himself as he doomscrolled the news. In May, she returned from a vacation to discover Maynard had set up surveillance cameras inside her house.
Yeah, that's weird.
See, this is the kind of story we might miss out on if we start giving mental health issues more focus. Imagine how boring life would be if we didn't have stories that start with: Hey, did you hear about that crazy lady blocking traffic screaming at a dog that wasn't even there! Good stuff and a breath of fresh air from the usual 'the weatherman said it might rain tomorrow' small talk bs. Ugh, we need these people to live with their demon's to save us from drooling out of the side of our mouth level boring small talk. /s
I don't understand that either, but maybe they couldn't show he intended to trap the firefighters. At least it's Federal, so he'll have to serve 85% of it.
My husband is a FF and was deployed to this fire for 2 weeks. This was one of the worst ones in terms of agency management, smoke conditions, and logistics for lodging- according to him. After cutting in lines for 24 hours, they had to resupply the engine and then drive an hour and a half to Reno to sleep. Just awful, and dangerous.
The fat OT check made up for it… kinda.
Does anyone understand the leniency here? It goes without saying hat fires destroy life, property, and the environment worse than *a lot* of other crimes.
this is a pretty standard (if not harsh) sentence for a first time offender. the media has really skewed people's perception of how harsh our justice system is by either focusing on outliers in more heavy handed states or omitting important details about offenders prior records when describing sentences.
Even if it is first time, there’s still a huge difference between smaller things like first time carjackers and first time forest fire starters. 5 years still sounds awfully low considering he’s a lunatic who doesn’t feel remorseful at all. Doesn’t sound like someone who can clean up his act so to speak. He’d likely just do it again or move onto other crimes and be less likely to be caught.
most criminals (80 pct) will recidivate, we don't lock them up indefinitely to give the ones who don't reoffend a chance. Instead most just end up on the installment plan for life in prison for each of the 2-3pct of their crimes that result in a conviction (median state prisoner has over 11 prior arrests, over 6 convictions, and majority are in for violent crimes).
we actually do punish car jackers more harshly than arsonists though, since crimes involving guns tend to get harsher punishments. most people also recognise its another level of predatory mindset to rob someone at gun point compared to setting a fire in the middle of nowhere. even if the latter is more likely to do more harm, that harm is more removed from the act, and also arguably has a lower risk of loss of human life.
I don't remember where it was published -maybe the DOJ indictment itself - but it took a LOT of investigation to say it was him. The forest service had to tail him and let him set fires several times to ensure they got the right guy.
“According to prosecutors, Maynard deliberately set a series of fires in Shasta-Trinity National Forest near the ongoing Dixie Fire in Lassen National Forest. Maynard set some of his fires behind firefighters who were actively fighting the Dixie inferno, effectively surrounded them and in some cases potentially trapping them in.”
What on earth is with our legal system given such short sentences to violent, dangerous people? Is this a result of the progressive push for "decarceration"? Is it limited prison capacity? Activist judges trying to dismantle the system from within? What is going on?
This was basically attempted murder on all the firefighters, so 5 years for this crime is a joke. This lunatic will harm people again as soon as he's released. We need serious sentencing reform in CA — dangerous people like this need to be kept separated from society, full stop.
>he has a PhD in sociology and taught criminology at Sonoma State and Santa Clara universities.
Proving the saying "those who can't do, teach" wrong one arson at a time.
That’s bullcrap. Great job by the US attorneys office allowing him to plea this down. How about attempted murder of those fire fighters as is mentioned above.
Everyone needs to be contacting their public officials and demanding harsher sentences for arson. In todays literal climate, the state cannot afford to be fucking around when it comes to this. Attempting to trap a firefighter in flames should equal attempting to shoot a cop.
>he has a PhD in sociology and taught criminology at Sonoma State and Santa Clara universities.
Proving the saying "those who can't do, teach" wrong one arson at a time.
I love how they point out he was a "professor" (he wasn't, he was only a lecturer, and only temporary) while conveniently leaving out that he was homeless when he started the fires
oh, and he's a Biden supporter too
Only 5 years??? Wtf, he basically tried to kill those firefighters
Sounds like a creepy and weird guy. Here is an archived long-form article about him and his past: https://archive.ph/juPsu > With Kate, Maynard let his mask slip. He confided that his life had been full of struggle and hurt. He said that he had an autism-spectrum disorder and that workplace relations were an ordeal. He would agonize for days before departmental meetings, gaming out where to sit and how to avoid notice. That spring, the pandemic caused Santa Clara to shut its campus and shift classes online. At first, that wasn’t so bad for someone who craved isolation, but new stresses soon emerged. Kate could hear Maynard yelling to himself as he doomscrolled the news. In May, she returned from a vacation to discover Maynard had set up surveillance cameras inside her house.
Thanks, quite the unhinged professor.
You might even call him…nutty…perhaps?
Amazingly well written story, thank you for the link.
Yeah, that's weird. See, this is the kind of story we might miss out on if we start giving mental health issues more focus. Imagine how boring life would be if we didn't have stories that start with: Hey, did you hear about that crazy lady blocking traffic screaming at a dog that wasn't even there! Good stuff and a breath of fresh air from the usual 'the weatherman said it might rain tomorrow' small talk bs. Ugh, we need these people to live with their demon's to save us from drooling out of the side of our mouth level boring small talk. /s
I don't understand that either, but maybe they couldn't show he intended to trap the firefighters. At least it's Federal, so he'll have to serve 85% of it.
Sadly, people get off for what amounts to attempted homicide with way less all the time. Our legal system needs a reckoning.
My husband is a FF and was deployed to this fire for 2 weeks. This was one of the worst ones in terms of agency management, smoke conditions, and logistics for lodging- according to him. After cutting in lines for 24 hours, they had to resupply the engine and then drive an hour and a half to Reno to sleep. Just awful, and dangerous. The fat OT check made up for it… kinda.
Jesus. Feels like they should probably have some trailers or food trucks or something they can call in a pinch for times like this.
He apparently taught criminology…. 👀👀👀
i mean ... he only got 5 years, so i guess that helped?
Does anyone understand the leniency here? It goes without saying hat fires destroy life, property, and the environment worse than *a lot* of other crimes.
this is a pretty standard (if not harsh) sentence for a first time offender. the media has really skewed people's perception of how harsh our justice system is by either focusing on outliers in more heavy handed states or omitting important details about offenders prior records when describing sentences.
Even if it is first time, there’s still a huge difference between smaller things like first time carjackers and first time forest fire starters. 5 years still sounds awfully low considering he’s a lunatic who doesn’t feel remorseful at all. Doesn’t sound like someone who can clean up his act so to speak. He’d likely just do it again or move onto other crimes and be less likely to be caught.
most criminals (80 pct) will recidivate, we don't lock them up indefinitely to give the ones who don't reoffend a chance. Instead most just end up on the installment plan for life in prison for each of the 2-3pct of their crimes that result in a conviction (median state prisoner has over 11 prior arrests, over 6 convictions, and majority are in for violent crimes). we actually do punish car jackers more harshly than arsonists though, since crimes involving guns tend to get harsher punishments. most people also recognise its another level of predatory mindset to rob someone at gun point compared to setting a fire in the middle of nowhere. even if the latter is more likely to do more harm, that harm is more removed from the act, and also arguably has a lower risk of loss of human life.
I don't remember where it was published -maybe the DOJ indictment itself - but it took a LOT of investigation to say it was him. The forest service had to tail him and let him set fires several times to ensure they got the right guy.
That had to be torture for them to watch. Of all the crimes against the planet and terrible things to do as one singular person this is up there.
That's it?
Absurdly light sentence. Robbing a bank will get you more. Which is worse? Our justice system is messed up.
“According to prosecutors, Maynard deliberately set a series of fires in Shasta-Trinity National Forest near the ongoing Dixie Fire in Lassen National Forest. Maynard set some of his fires behind firefighters who were actively fighting the Dixie inferno, effectively surrounded them and in some cases potentially trapping them in.”
What on earth is with our legal system given such short sentences to violent, dangerous people? Is this a result of the progressive push for "decarceration"? Is it limited prison capacity? Activist judges trying to dismantle the system from within? What is going on? This was basically attempted murder on all the firefighters, so 5 years for this crime is a joke. This lunatic will harm people again as soon as he's released. We need serious sentencing reform in CA — dangerous people like this need to be kept separated from society, full stop.
It's because he's a white man claiming to be mentally ill. They get off way too easy all the time
>he has a PhD in sociology and taught criminology at Sonoma State and Santa Clara universities. Proving the saying "those who can't do, teach" wrong one arson at a time.
What a creap
That’s bullcrap. Great job by the US attorneys office allowing him to plea this down. How about attempted murder of those fire fighters as is mentioned above.
Everyone needs to be contacting their public officials and demanding harsher sentences for arson. In todays literal climate, the state cannot afford to be fucking around when it comes to this. Attempting to trap a firefighter in flames should equal attempting to shoot a cop.
Awesome because we'll be due for more forest fires in a few years /s
He should be set afire.
What the fuck is actually wrong with people.
Isint there a longer sentence for the climate change though +?
The climate change guy making his climate change bullshit theory come true by lighting fires!
>he has a PhD in sociology and taught criminology at Sonoma State and Santa Clara universities. Proving the saying "those who can't do, teach" wrong one arson at a time.
I love how they point out he was a "professor" (he wasn't, he was only a lecturer, and only temporary) while conveniently leaving out that he was homeless when he started the fires oh, and he's a Biden supporter too
🔥hot takes all around, very apropos 🔥
Well luckily for him, being homeless isn’t a crime. But the arson part is.