Associated Press reports that a graduate student, a doctoral candidate at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, was convicted today of firebombing dozens of sport utility vehicles and causing more than $2 million in damage in an eco-vandalism rampage, but was cleared of the most serious charge against him. more ›

Along with arson and conspiracy, a Caltech student is facing a federal charge of "the use of a destructive device in a violent crime," a crime that's linked to a 30 year mandatory minimum sentence. He's accused of an arson spree that involves 125 vehicles and 4 car dealerships (some of the 125 were also private vehicles). His lawyers are attempting to argue that arson isn't a necessarily "violent crime." Uh, sure. While I'm sure that these "activists" have their means and ends in order in their heads, it's pretty unreasonable to suggest that you can set over 100 cars on fire in a 2 hour period and be sure that nobody's going to get killed. more ›