Bend Redmond Asperger Syndrome Support.  Home to the "new" planet syndrome.

Media coverage

	Earth Liberation Front suspect charged in California SUV arson, vandalism raids -  Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise Executive Vice President Ron Arnold today congratulated the FBI for the March 9 arrest of the first of two ecoterror suspects in a week—Michael Scarpitti was arrested March 13. Arnold has been retained as expert consultant on ecoterrorism for a major study at the University of Arkansas Terrorism Research Center, funded by a grant from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). William Jensen "Billy" Cottrell, a 23-year-old graduate physics student from Pasadena, was indicted for damaging or destroying 125 sport utility vehicles at car dealerships and homes in the Los Angeles area last August, said Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office on Wednesday.
	Autoterrorist Arrested for SUV Vandalism in Los Angeles - A California Institute of Technology graduate student has been arrested in connection with an August arson and vandalism spree targeting 125 sports utility vehicles at four car dealerships, the FBI said. William Cottrell, 23, used an alias when he e-mailed The Los Angeles Times, claiming to be a member of the eco-terrorist group Earth Liberation Front and offering specific details to prove his involvement in the fire bombings, the FBI said.
	WILLIAM JENSEN COTTRELL, February 2003 Indictment
	Arrest Affidavit
	SUV Vandalism Suspect Denied Bail Again / If Convicted On All Accounts, Faces 70 Years In Prison. - A judge Wednesday refused bail a second time for a Caltech grad student charged in connection with the fire bombings and vandalism of SUVs at San Gabriel Valley dealerships. , by KCLA9 - Los Angeles
	Cottrell attorney says client tried to stop vandalism - A defense lawyer for alleged ecoterrorist Billy Cottrell gave a preview of the Caltech graduate student's anticipated testimony during opening statements Tuesday in U.S. District Court. Attorney Michael Mayock told jurors that Cottrell was "shocked' when alleged co-conspirator Tyler Johnson set fire to a sport utility vehicle and then tried to talk Johnson out of continuing. "This is bad,' Mayock said, paraphrasing what he claims Cottrell told Johnson. "You can't do this. This is a mistake.'
	Alleged Eco-Terrorist to Stand Trial on October 26;  On October 26; Press Conference Following Hearing, October 12, 2004 - Since his arrest in early March, William Billy Cottrell has been held in questionable conditions, all the while maintaining his innocence and steadfastly disputing allegations that he is or has ever been a member of the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). On March 9, Cottrell was arrested in conjunction with a series of alleged ELF arsons involving southland SUV dealerships. Cottrell, a 24 year old Caltech PhD student, is currently being held without bail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles. There he awaits trial on nine counts stemming from the August 22, 2003 arsons. / Press Release
	Billy Cottrell's Jury selection started today - Jury selection is scheduled to start today in the trial of a Caltech grad student accused of firebombing sport utility vehicles in the San Gabriel Valley, causing millions of dollars in damage.
	Billy Cottrell trial delayed - The case against Billy Cottrell has taken a new twist. During the summer of 2004 the Prosecution told Billy they intended to bring multiple 924c "use of a destructive device during a violent crime" charges against him. Each charge carries a mandatory minimum of 30 years imprisonment which can not be served concurrently with any other charge. So if a person is found guilty of one of these charge its a minimum 30 year sentence. Two charges, a minimum 60 year sentence. Three charges, a minimum 90 year sentence. Etc. The reason for the threat was clear, the Prosecution believe that Billy has information about the Earth Liberation Front and wanted to apply pressure to get him talking and start naming names. To really emphasize their desire to get Billy to talk the Prosecution told Billy that because of the new charges they may call for a minimum sentence of "Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole". However, up until this week the new charges did not materialize. Then things started going against the Prosecution.
	Cottrell goes on trial this week - According to the government's trial memo, the case against Caltech grad student Billy Cottrell scheduled to begin Tuesday is fairly straightforward. Cottrell, 24, and two friends, Tyler Johnson and Michie Oe, got together Aug. 22, 2003. They allegedly went to a Pasadena gas station and loaded up detergent bottles with gasoline, for use in making Molotov cocktails, by Gene Maddaus
	Lawyers for student charged in SUV arson hope to focus on mental state - Lawyers for a graduate student indicted in a series of fire bombings and vandalizing of sport utility vehicles hope to use his mental state as a defense during trial by NapaNews.com
	Cottrell's mental state at issue - "Five months later, the two defense attorneys have filed notice that they do intend to make an issue of Cottrell's mental state. The attorneys announced last week that a defense expert has diagnosed Cottrell with Asperger's syndrome, also known as "high-functioning autism.'   Those who have Asperger's, the attorneys say, have a hard time functioning socially, tend to take things too literally and are also prone to bouts of confusion. They are often also uncommonly bright, and can focus on particular problems much longer than those who don't have the illness," by Gene Maddaus
	Man charged with bombing to claim mental defect / A man charged with firebombing sport utility vehicles at San Gabriel Valley dealerships will present a mental-defect defense and claim he has Asperger's syndrome. Asperger's syndrome is a type of autism where an individual can display eccentric behavior but often has high intelligence and language skills.   U.S. District Judge Gary Klausner on Tuesday denied a prosecution request to postpone the Oct. 26 trial so a government expert could interview defendant William Cottrell about his mental health.
	Alleged 'fugitive coconspirators' identified in San Gabriel Valley arson spree - "...Cottrell faces 35 years to life in prison if convicted of burning and spray-painting SUVs during the environmental vandalism spree. Cottrell's defense lawyers will present a mental-defect defense during trial, claiming he has Asperger's syndrome. Asperger's syndrome is a type of autism where an individual can display eccentric behavior but often has normal language skills and high intelligence by the Associated Press
	Prosecutors seek delay in Cottrell case - Prosecutors are seeking a delay in the case of alleged Caltech ecoterrorist Bill Cottrell, insisting they need more time to research a defense claim that Cottrell suffers from a form of autism known as Asperger's Syndrome. Cottrell's defense filed a motion Wednesday objecting to the delay and asking that the trial proceed as scheduled Oct. 26 by Gene Maddaus
	Judge OKs delay in SUV vandalism trial / A judge agreed Monday to a prosecution request for a two-week delay in the trial of alleged eco-terrorist Bill Cottrell. The trial, which had been scheduled to start next week, will now begin Nov. 9, Judge Gary Klausner said. Prosecutors said they still need more time to do an independent psychological analysis of Cottrell. The Caltech graduate student is accused of torching and spray-painting more than 125 sport utility vehicles in the San Gabriel Valley in August 2003 by Gene Maddaus
	Judge refuses to delay SUV vandalism trial / Prosecutors sought 3 months to evaluate Cottrell - Lawyers for alleged eco-terrorist Bill Cottrell won a victory Tuesday when a federal judge refused to grant prosecutors more time to prepare for trial. Judge Gary Klausner denied a prosecution request to delay the trial at least until January to allow time for a government expert to evaluate Cottrell, a physics grad student at Caltech, for signs of Asperger's Syndrome by Gene Maddaus
	The Physicist and the Torched SUVs - Nov. 1 issue - Could a little-understood mental disorder called Asperger's syndrome clear Billy Cottrell of ecoterrorism charges? Cottrell, 24, is a brilliant but quirky physics grad student at the California Institute of Technology who faces trial in Los Angeles on federal arson counts that may send him to prison for life. Prosecutors charge that he and two unnamed conspirators torched 14 Hummers and a building during an Aug. 22, 2003, spree in which 125 SUVs worth $3.5 million were burned or spray-painted with slogans like SUV = TERRORISM. The vandals claimed responsibility in the name of the Earth Liberation Front, a shadowy group that says it has destroyed property worth more than $100 million nationwide. In a statement, Cottrell, who pleaded not guilty, said he never committed arson, but he hasn't denied being present that night. His lawyers hope to explain the apparent contradiction by showing that Cottrell has Asperger's syndrome, a mild form of autism marked by an impaired ability to comprehend social situations. "The question is: how can somebody so smart be so dumb?" says his attorney Marvin Rudnick. "And Asperger's answers that question." - News Week
	Judge deals Cottrell setback - A federal judge barred any further discussion of Asperger's syndrome Friday in the ecoterrorism trial of Caltech grad student Billy Cottrell.  Judge Gary Klausner ruled the condition, a form of autism, is irrelevant to the question of whether Cottrell conspired to set fire to sport utility vehicles in August 2003. Cottrell faces 35 years to life in prison if convicted of setting fire to several SUVs and a West Covina Hummer dealership in August 2003. More than 125 SUVs in four San Gabriel Valley cities were either burned or tagged with environmentalist graffiti. Friday's ruling was a setback for the defense, which argued in opening statements the condition made Cottrell an easy dupe, and he was unable to extricate himself from the conspiracy once it began. Those who have Asperger's syndrome typically have difficulty interpreting social situations by Gene Maddaus
	Judge blocks autism defense in SoCal SUV arson case - A judge on Friday barred attorneys defending a graduate student charged in an arson spree of sport utility vehicles from presenting evidence he suffered from a type of autism known as Asperger's syndrome. Lawyers said in court earlier in the week that William Jensen Cottrell, 24, thought he was going with two friends to only graffiti the vehicles and was surprised when they began hurling Molotov cocktails instead. Attorneys claimed Cottrell's medical condition made it difficult for him to understand the intentions of his alleged accomplices and an "easy dupe," by the Associated Press
	Connole may take stand in SUV case - "...The 26-year-old antiwar activist was arrested in 2003 on suspicion of torching and vandalizing sport utility vehicles in West Covina and other San Gabriel Valley cities -- then later released without charges being filed against him. He said he has received a subpoena to testify on behalf of the current suspect standing trial, Billy Cottrell.  ..."They are not related in that way. As I understand the Cottrell defense, they do not contest he was there. Their defense was he has this Asperger's syndrome (a high-functioning autism that prevents those who have it from accurately reading social situations) and not criminally responsible for what is going on."
	Autism defense rejected in case of SUV arson - A judge on Friday barred attorneys defending a graduate student charged in an arson spree of sport utility vehicles from presenting evidence he suffered from a type of autism known as Asperger's syndrome. Lawyers said in court earlier in the week that William Jensen Cottrell, 24, thought he was going with two friends to only graffiti the vehicles and was surprised when they began hurling Molotov cocktails instead. Attorneys claimed Cottrell's medical condition made it difficult for him to understand the intentions of his alleged accomplices and an ''easy dupe.'' But U.S. District Judge Gary Klausner ruled Friday that the condition could not be used as part of Cottrell's defense.
	William Cottrell's "I Couldn't Help it Defense" - Commentary from Animal Crackers / This website is covering the trial and has several commentaries.
	Arson suspect claims he painted SUVs but didn't set them on fire - A graduate physics student told jurors on Wednesday that he spray-painted the initials of the Earth Liberation Front on a string of sport utility vehicles as part of a vandalism spree last year, but that he did not set any vehicles ablaze by Copley News Service
	Man denies he set fires to SUVs in vandalism spree - A graduate physics student told jurors yesterday that he spray-painted the initials of the Earth Liberation Front on a string of sport utility vehicles as part of a vandalism spree last year, but didn't set any ablaze by Matt Krasnowski
	Cottrell testifies in own defense / Suspect in SUV vandalism case denies he committed arson - Caltech SUV-vandalism suspect Billy Cottrell testified in his own defense Wednesday, denying he committed arson but admitting he believed environmental graffiti to be morally justified because SUV dealerships are "evil.' Cottrell said the sport utility vehicle fires of August 2003 were the work of two fugitives, Michie Oe and Tyler Johnson, and that he knew nothing of the arson plot beforehand, by Gene Maddaus
	Judge rejects bid for new trial by convicted arsonist - A federal judge turned away a request Monday for a new trial for a graduate student convicted last year of firebombing scores of sport utility vehicles in a vandalism rampage that caused more than $2 million in damage.  The motion by William Jensen Cottrell was rejected by U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner after a brief hearing, said Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles.  Cottrell sought a new trial claiming, among other issues, that the court improperly barred his attorneys from presenting evidence that he suffered from a type of autism known as Asperger's syndrome. His attorneys claimed the medical condition made it difficult for him to understand the intentions of his alleged accomplices, by the AP

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Updated 12/12/2007