Phil Lyman is special. So special that respect for the rule of law does not apply to him.
Let's remember that he led an illegal ATV protest through Recapture Canyon. His ride through the canyon was an act of civil disobedience. But the deal with civil disobedience is that when you commit the crime to make your statement, you understand that there will be consequences for the act of breaking the law.
Lyman was convicted by a jury of his peers. As is his right, he appealed to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, complaining that the Bureau of Land Management did not have authority over the canyon and that the judge was unfair. The appellate court affirmed his conviction and the order of $96,000 restitution.
Lyman, now a state representative from San Juan County, has the audacity to complain that the prosecution thinks he should pay more than $100 a month toward his $96,000 restitution obligation.
He has absolutely zero acceptance of responsibility or contrition. On the contrary, he continues to blame everyone but himself. He blames the judge, the U.S. attorney who prosecuted him for breaking the law and the media.
Lyman willfully broke the law. He is not a victim. It's time to face the music and pay the price for his criminal conduct.
Walter F. Bugden Jr., Salt Lake City