OT: Harvey Updyke (Poisoner of the Toomer's Corner Trees) rejects plea deal
Harvey Updyke rejects plea deal that called for 13 years in prison, and a banning from all University of Alabama sports for life.
"Roll damn tide!" -Harvey Updyke
This guy is an absolute moron, who actually said the following to the judge "There's too much tide in me, your honor".
That being said, Charles Barkley had the following to say.
"That's too much," Barkley said. "Is he an idiot? Of course, he's an idiot. You can't let him off for free. You give him a month in jail and make him donate money to Auburn. You can't put the guy in prison for 13 years. That's crazy."
I would tend to agree with that to an extent, but this really went above and beyond even irrational fandom.
January 20th, 2012 at 6:53 PM ^
13 years? For poisoning a tree? You gotta be shittin me.
January 20th, 2012 at 7:23 PM ^
Right?? Excuse my French but that's fucked up.
January 20th, 2012 at 6:55 PM ^
13 years is absurd. You can kill a PERSON and do far less than 13 years.
January 20th, 2012 at 6:57 PM ^
too bad bud light doesn't still have "real men of genius".
January 20th, 2012 at 10:06 PM ^
To be fair if I commited a crime and someone said you could not attend a Wolverine sporting event for the rest of your life I would decline the offer.
January 20th, 2012 at 6:57 PM ^
But, if you actually read Alabama state law on the matter, they could rightfully give him more years.
January 20th, 2012 at 11:52 PM ^
This might be the most f----d picture I've seen in my life, and that's saying something.
January 20th, 2012 at 7:01 PM ^
I wonder if the lawyer who offered that plea deal is an auburn alum
January 20th, 2012 at 7:09 PM ^
Guy has one kid named Bear Bryant Updyke and another named Crimson Tide Updyke...
If you dont believe me... watch Roll Tide War Eagle hahah
Had a girl and tried to name her Aly Bama, but it didnt fly...
However... 13 years is INSANE....that could literally be the rest of his life
January 20th, 2012 at 8:56 PM ^
Aly Bama didn't fly?!!! What did his wife say? Bear Bryant Updyke and Crimson Tide Updyke were good names, but dammit, Aly Bama is too much!
January 21st, 2012 at 6:44 AM ^
Sabana instead.
January 20th, 2012 at 7:15 PM ^
Is absolutely insane. 13 years is more than a lot of murders end up doing. Judge must be a tiger fan.
January 20th, 2012 at 7:26 PM ^
Really this is American judicial system at its finest. Casey Anthony kills her kid and gets off Scott free, will write a book and make millions while this dumbass is punished for a TREE.... WOW only is our great country.
January 20th, 2012 at 7:29 PM ^
I understand what it represents, but is it actually illegal to kill a tree? Not to condone his actions, but legally those trees are no different from any other random trees in the woods.
January 20th, 2012 at 8:24 PM ^
Well, they were on Auburn property, so it's not quite the same as killing a tree in a state park or something. I do agree thirteen years is too much. IMO he should be found guilty of vandalism in whatever bracket the trees (which are worth like 50k each) and environmental cleanup were valued at, and suffer whatever punishment that is. Seems much more in line with the crime he committed.
January 20th, 2012 at 7:38 PM ^
Updyke is also a former police officer IIRC, prison would not be too kind to him
January 20th, 2012 at 7:41 PM ^
The difference, is the Toomer's Corner Trees are considered an historical landmark. There was a guy in Texas, who got 3 years in jail for pissing on the Alamo. Also, most of us would look at this completely different, if something in Ann Arbor were ruined. You have to look at this in perspective. Does he deserve 13 years in jail? Of course not. What you also have to remember, however, is that Mr. Updyke also denied poisoning the trees under oath. That comes with a hefty penalty itself, on top of what he already did.
January 20th, 2012 at 7:47 PM ^
The thought process, planning, and pre-meditation it takes to go through with doing this deserves imprisonment. I'm not sure about 13 years, but not being a lawyer and knowing little Law, the eye test here for me says prison, 5-8 years. 13 may be harsh, but again back to the plotting and actual audacity to follow through with this act, it makes me sick and I'm quite fine with him going to prison for a decade.
January 20th, 2012 at 7:53 PM ^
5-8 Years? The guy killed a tree. Yes, it was a big, old, cool looking tree, but a tree. Anything more than 6 months would be an enormous abuse of the system.
January 20th, 2012 at 8:11 PM ^
13 years in prison is way too much. If I was the prosecutor I would push for sterilization though. How can an adult with kids have his priorities that messed up.
January 20th, 2012 at 8:26 PM ^
Barkley is right. Anyone who thinks 13 years is even approaching fair has WAAAAAY too much reverence for sports or college traditions.
Don't know if they have the scarlet letter punishment laws in Alabama, but making him walk around Jordan-Hare on game days with a big sign that says "I'm a low-life who poisons trees" would be funny.
January 20th, 2012 at 9:36 PM ^
We should definitely bring back scarlet letter punishment. Or maybe in this case, crimson letter.
January 21st, 2012 at 1:40 AM ^
The legal system in this country is out of control. Make him do community service, fine him to the moon, make him do the CS in or around Auburn's campus, jail him for a few weeks maybe but 13 years for trees is crazy.
And to further support my claim that the legal system is out of control - he's a story about a marine biologist facing 20 years for - wait for it - feeding whales improperly.
January 20th, 2012 at 8:49 PM ^
the judicial system is a joke and he holding out for the case to be droped on account of it being a waste of time and money in a great legal stratgey for in 90% of non plea deal cases are droped because there expensive and not really worth it.
January 20th, 2012 at 9:55 PM ^
just so everyone is clear it apparently works as follows in our judicial system: trees > dogs > humans.
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<br>So wrap your mind around that one.
January 20th, 2012 at 10:43 PM ^
And you don't get convicted for murder until the person dies.
You can see them on the live feed: http://www.livestream.com/cityofauburntoomerscorner
January 20th, 2012 at 11:48 PM ^
5-8 years?!? For trees?!?
January 21st, 2012 at 12:58 AM ^
In Ann Arbor that would be the death sentence...:)
January 21st, 2012 at 2:00 AM ^
I'm surprised there hasn't been a comparison to Vick's sentence yet. He took part in killing dogs and was chucking the rock after almost 2 years behind bars. Amazing.