It's been a year since Tim DeChristopher, a senior in economics, disrupted a land lease auction. He says he did it to protect the planet. His critics say he did it for attention. But a judge will say at his trial in March whether DeChristopher will spend the next decade behind bars, regardless of his intentions. Catch up on the events of the past year:
Dec. 19: DeChristopher disrupts a Bureau of Land Management auction, winning 17 land leases. He acknowledges that what he did was wrong but claims it was to protect southeastern Utah from oil and gas companies drilling there, destroying the land and furthering climate change.
Feb. 4: Interior Secretary Ken Salazar cancels the sale of 77 land leases, including the ones DeChristopher won. Like the U student, Salazar criticizes the Bush administration for selling the land.
April 1: A federal grand jury indicts DeChristopher for violating the terms of the auction that he signed to join it, including bidding without the intention of paying for the leases. DeChristopher’s bids totaled about $1.8 million.
April 28: DeChristopher pleads not guilty.
Oct. 24: DeChristopher says he’s coming to terms with going to prison and encourages others to not be afraid to break the rules to save the planet.
Nov. 16: Federal Judge Dee Benson denies DeChristopher’s request to use the “necessity defense” in court by arguing that though what he did was illegal, it should be excused on the grounds that he was preventing a more severe crime--allowing the oil and gas companies to further climate change. His attorneys say they’ll instead argue that the government has never prosecuted anyone for DeChristopher’s alleged crime before, so he’s been unfairly singled out and should be let off the hook.
March 15: DeChristopher’s three-day trial is scheduled to begin. If found guilty, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $750,000.
