August 14, 2003
Thursday - 6:25 pm

Anchorage District Attorney Bob Linton announced that Jed Magby, age 44, appeared in Superior Court in Anchorage on Tuesday and entered a plea to reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor charge, for setting fire to his own car in front of the state office building, and for felony criminal mischief for damaging a police car by kicking out a window after being arrested.

Last October Magby torched his Mercedes in the street in front of the Atwood State Office Building, which houses the offices of Child Support Enforcement Division. Magby had raised an American flag upside down on a pole fixed to the Mercedes, and used a can of gas to light the flag on fire. Anchorage police arrived to find Magby sitting on the curb and the car engulfed in flames. The Anchorage Fire Department was called to extinguish the fire.

"People who are angry with government agencies just can't do this type of thing in a civilized society," Linton said. "There are many ways to challenge government actions without endangering people and destroying public property."

At the time of his arrest, Magby had documents that showed he owed over $100,000 in back child support. The previous month, Magby had told a child support enforcement employee that he was on the verge of "blowing up" over their efforts to get him to pay. Although he was ordered by the police not to return to the offices, Magby had returned several more times before he finally set his car on fire.

Magby was sentenced to three years in jail with all the time suspended except about 40 days he had already served. He will be supervised by a probation officer for five years.

Source of News Release:

Alaska Department of Law
Web Site

 

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