College lecturer arrested for arson in northern California

Bill Chappell reports for Capital Public Radio under the headline, "A Former College Professor Accused Of Serial Arson Is Denied Bail In California."  Here's part of the story:  

Firefighters battling the Dixie Fire have also been facing a second enemy: a serial arsonist who went on a spree of setting fires in July and August — and who sought to trap fire crews with his fires, according to agents from the U.S. Forest Service. They allege former college professor Gary Maynard is the culprit, citing their tracking of his movements and other evidence.

"Where Maynard went, fires started. Not just once, but over and over again," the government said in a court memorandum arguing for Maynard to be denied bail.

A judge agreed to that request during a brief hearing Wednesday, saying there are no "conditions or combination of conditions that would provide the necessary level of safety to this community should the defendant be released."

He added: "Based on that finding, the defendant will be detained as a risk of non-appearance and a danger to the community."

Maynard's next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 24, a representative of the U.S. attorney's office in Sacramento told NPR.

While court documents allege that Maynard is connected to more than a half-dozen dangerous fires in Northern California, he is currently charged with starting only the Ranch Fire. That blaze broke out on Saturday morning in a remote area where, according to court records, Maynard had just camped for the night. It's one of three fires that officials said Maynard set in recent days — all of them close to the Dixie Fire's northeastern footprint.

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Maynard, 47, is a former professor who has taught at colleges in New York and California, according to online records. Last fall, he taught in the criminology and criminal justice department at Sonoma State University, which says in its official bio for Maynard that he has a doctorate in sociology and three master's degrees.

His teaching and research, the school said, focuses on topics that include the "sociology of health, deviance and crime" and environmental sociology. Maynard also has connections to other schools, from Stony Brook University in New York (where he received his doctorate) to Santa Clara University, where he also taught.

The details about tracking Maynard's movements--as well as the judge's concern that it would be too difficult to keep tracking  his movements--reminds me of my "The Rural Lawscape:  Space Tames Law Tames Space."  It's hard to police rural areas because of the vast distances implicated, which is certainly the case in the area where Maynard was allegedly operating.