Stiff sentence for enviro-crimes

Last week’s lead news story (“Nightmare in the hills”) described the trial of Kenneth Davis, a Yankee Hill man who was convicted of obstructing water of the state and maintaining a public nuisance. He was sentenced Tuesday (Sept. 7) by Judge William Lamb and left the courtroom in handcuffs.

Davis received a sentence of 90 days in jail for stealing water and another 30 for maintaining a public nuisance. During the trial held last Monday (Aug. 30), Deputy District Attorney Dan Ledford submitted evidence that Davis had installed a 2,500-gallon tank in a gorge beyond his property on Union Pacific Railroad land. Pictures showed he was using the water for a marijuana garden.

“It’s not because of marijuana per se, but it has to do with the fact that it involves something that the court believed was motivated by profit and then without regard to his neighbors in that subdivision,” Ledford said.

Davis was also ordered to pay fines equaling $1,420.