Oyler was described by the judge as a “proficient” arsonist.
A southern Californian court has sentenced a man to death for the first-degree murder of five firefighters by starting an October 2006 forest blaze. Raymond Lee Oyler was convicted of starting the so-called Esperanza Fire in Riverside County as well as numerous other blazes in the county.
Riverside County Superior Court Judge W Charles Morgan found that the aggravating circumstances in Oyler’s case outweighed the mitigating circumstances.
“Mr Oyler set [out] on a mission… To wreak havoc in this county by setting fires by his own design for his own purposes and, as proven by the evidence, he became more and more proficient.”
“He knew that young men and woman would put their lives on the line to protect other people and property and he continued anyway.”
Oyler, 38, a former car mechanic with a young daughter, was also convicted of 20 counts of arson and 17 counts of using an incendiary device for a rash of blazes in Riverside in 2006.
Defence lawyer Mark McDonald said the sentencing decision had been expected.
The jury recommended the death sentence after a month-long trial.
Vocabluary
To be sentenced to die – być skazanym na karę śmierci (pojęcie nieprawnicze)
An arsonist – podpalacz
A court – sąd
To sentence – skazać, (także sentence – wyrok)
A first-degree murder – morderstwo pierwszego stopnia (nie występuje w prawie polskim)
To be convicted – zostać skazanym (często występuje to be convicted on a charge of…)
Aggravating circumstances – okoliczności obciążające (także kwalifikowany np. Offence)
Mitigating circumstances – okoliczności łagodzące
Proven by the evidence – udowodnione
A property – własność (także nieruchomość)
A count – zarzut
A defence lawyer – obrońca
A jury – ława przysięgłych
A trial – process
Source: BBC.co.UK
Edited & translated by: Anna Sienkiewicz
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