Above: Sockeye Fire. Photo by Mat-SU Borough spokesperson.
After just one day of deliberation, a jury last week acquitted an Alaska couple on all counts related to the destructive Sockeye Fire.
Amy DeWitt, 43, and Greg Imig, were charged with a dozen counts each related to the 2015 fire. Among them: second-degree negligent burning, burning without clearing the area, allowing the wildfire to spread and reckless endangerment, the Alaska Dispatch News reported. If convicted, they could have faced fines and jail time.
The three-week trial ended Friday when the six-person jury returned “not guilty” verdicts on all counts.
From the Alaska Dispatch News:
In a prepared statement following the verdict, Imig told reporters the fire was “very costly” for the couple, in both the physical property lost and the price of defending themselves at trial. But he said it was necessary for the “real information” to come out.
“From the beginning, (DeWitt) and I have been forthright and honest and, frankly, this trial by the State of Alaska was wasteful and unneeded,” he read. “We knew we had to take this path to clear our name.”
Defense attorneys and private investigators maintained the state’s investigation was inconclusive as to the fire’s cause. They also cited the Wildfire Origin and Cause and Determination Handbook, arguing state investigators should have better documented the property and taken more steps to allay any “confirmation bias.”
The Sockeye Fire burned 7,220 acres and destroyed 55 homes.
Court rules Anchorage couple not guilty in 2015 Sockeye fire case https://t.co/Jv6rXevlKU pic.twitter.com/ZYbCG2wcZQ
— Alaska Dispatch News (@adndotcom) May 13, 2017
