Comments about ‘Prosecutors now investigating Goblin Valley rock case’

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Published: Tuesday, Oct. 29 2013 6:40 p.m. MDT

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Cache, UT

It would be a waste of time and money to prosecute this case. I imagine they have suffered enough. Let it go.

Reasonable Person
Layton, UT

"They have suffered enough"

Wow. Just wow.
Let's just open up our Utah State Parks to ALL the vandals!
Heck, let them topple all the Goblins, then move on to This Is The Place.
Why not?,

Cedar City, UT

Sure it wasn't the right thing to do and they should be fined but get ahold of yourselves people. It was a rock sitting on a mound of dirt. People are acting like it was a murder. It could have fallen on its own within a few years.

Hurricane, 00

Let it go? What kind of message is that sending? If you post a video of yourself acting like an idiot, then you pay the consequences, both personally and legally. Let them off? Throw the book at them. Maybe that will send the right message.

Beaverton, OR

My family went to Goblin Valley years ago and loved the unique "goblins" out there. For someone to say that one of those goblins was set to fall at any time, yet this one had to be shoved while bracing one foot against another base and using excessive force needs to understand - it wasn't going to happen any time soon! That's really a disgrace to the natural course of events in nature.

Let Nature do the shoving and moving. People are only visitors the awe-inspiring park. Don't take away the opportunity from others to visit by destroying the park's goblins.

Cache, UT

@Reasonable Person

Nice login.

What would make this right? Fine him a million dollars? Jail for 10 years?

He did a stupid thing. Wasting tons of money to prosecute him will net us what? Prison time that we will fund at the cost of 30K per year? I think he must be embarrassed and I doubt he will ever do anything like this again.

I just think it is an incredible waste of time and money to prosecute him for toppling a rock.

I guess you want to get the torches and pitchforks and nail the fool, eh?

Where is this outrage when something is done that really matters?

casual observer
Salt Lake City, UT

Boy Scout leaders yet they were not wearing Scout uniforms in the video. Some punishment's in order, but let's not run wild. A judge can consider "time served" which is what they have experienced, i.e they are out of Scouting and everyone thinks they have the common sense of yeast.

Aurora, CO

Ahem.....that should be FORMER Scout leaders...they got tossed, remember?

cambodia girl
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Now, how about a video of apology and some community service in action to help clean up Goblin Valley.

Taylorsville, UT

Don't know why the county prospector is getting invloved, unless its to defend the actions of citizens acting to prevent others from being harmed by an impending rock slide some commons sense in their actions.

The prosecutor cannot prosecute anyone, its a federal property and county government has no authority on federal lands unless they are tying to wrest criminla control of the parks and recreation sites in their proximity of the county boundaries.

The park service would have had no choice but take the same action if they stumbled on the hazard and these men should not be charged with any crime. Saving lives and people from injuries is a national past time avocation as shown by the hundreds of awareness groups who have formed for the same reason, prevent others from harm.

Taylorsville, 00

@casual observer


I'd say at least let the system run its course over the prosecution of vandalism and be public. We've had several other cases where individuals have run amok like this and destroyed irreplacable icons and from the perspective of other vandals, nothing happened to the perps. We try to preserve these icons of natural beauty for a reason and the establishment of national parks was partly for this.

Somewhere in Time, UT

I can't believe how many people get themselves into serious trouble by posting videos on Youtube. Honestly!

This guy probably needs to get a fine and a good lecture. That's all. It was a dumb thing to do and he knows it. Let's keep our sense of proportion.

Martin Blank
Salt Lake City, UT

What some posters here don't seem to acknowledge is that this was an act of vandalism. Let them off the hook? Why? Would you want someone who tagged your garage prosecuted? What about the bowery at the local park? If someone cut down a redwood in Sequoia National Park, should they be prosecuted? Vandalism is vandalism is vandalism. And it should be prosecuted if only as a deterrent to others who might consider doing the same thing. The "goblin topplers" haven't yet paid enough--they need to be accountable for their illegal actions.

Canandaigua, NY

I agree with those who say there must be consequences for this unutterably stupid behavior. However, I'd hate to see these men given prisons sentences.

How about 100 hour of community service in state parks. That would let the "punishment fit the crime."


Vandalism is never right, especially if you are destroying public property. Like the old saying we've all heard, "you do the crime, you do the time".

james d. morrison
Boise, CA

He should get some kind of fine and probation, but let's remember, it is just a rock and let's not completely destroy his life over it. Sure it was something that took thousands of years to create, but don't we all participate in destroying something that took just as long to create every time we pave over something or mine for anything that we use in our lives?

Santa Monica, CA

If they had vandalized a church I doubt there would be anyone on these threads crying, "it was just a window and some bricks! Sure they posted a video of themselves bragging about destroying something that many care deeply about, but haven't they suffered enough?"
Folks, I say with all sincerity, that the place they vandalized is as important to many as your meetinghouse is to you.

Kay Hunt
Celebration, FL

In 1954 it was proposed that Goblin Valley be protected from vandalism. The state of Utah later acquired the property and established Goblin Valley State Reserve. It was officially designated a state park on August 24, 1964. So all you people who think thy should just be let go. Vandalism is vandalism. And yes there should be charges brought against them.

Kay Hunt
Celebration, FL

Class B misdemeanor Criminal Mischief may be considered if the action recklessly endangers human health or safety or if the value of damage is less than $300. Punishable by up to 6 months in jail and fines reaching $1,000.

Class A Misdemeanor Criminal Mischief Recklessly endangers human life or the damage is valued at between $300 and $1,000. Punishable up to 1 year in jail and fines of $2,500.

Third Degree Felony Criminal Mischief: if the damage caused by the act is valued at between $1,000 and $5,000. Punishable by up to 5 years in prison and fines of $5,000.

Second Degree Felony Criminal Mischief Recklessly causes or threatens to cause a substantial interruption or impairment of a critical infrastructure or if the damage caused in the commission of the offense is valued at more than $5,000. Penalty of 1 to 15 years in prison and fines reaching $10,000.
Do the crime do the time. Give them the option to plead to a lower charge. And I think that the Goblins were priceless.

Floyd Johnson
Broken Arrow, OK


Strange that you would use the example of cutting down a redwood tree in a park named for the giant sequoia. Ponderosa pine, cedar, lodge pole pine, whitebark pine, red fir, foxtail pine are also present there. It is a beautiful park, and is well worth the visit.

I trust I am not the only man breathing a sigh of relief that most of my scouting was completed prior to the advent of YouTube.

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