By Sue Lindsay
Rocky Mountain News
Copyright 2007 Denver Publishing Company
DENVER — A Denver judge halved the bail Thursday for a suspected eco- terrorist accused of setting firebombs in large SUVs, after his father, a Colorado Springs lawyer, agreed to post the bail.
Bail for Grant -Barnes, 24, was reduced from $200,000 to $100,000 after defense attorney Phil Cherner told the judge that Barnes’ father, Thomas Barnes, a former deputy district attorney in El Paso County, would ensure that his son appears in court.
Denver District Judge William Robbins said he reduced the bail primarily because it was excessive when no one had been injured in the fires.
Prosecutor Ryan Younggren said that he and the victims objected to a bail reduction because Grant Barnes might plant more firebombs if he gets out.
Thomas Barnes and Cherner declined to comment after the brief hearing, in which Barnes’ arraignment was delayed until July to give Cherner time to assess whether to file an insanity plea.
Grant Barnes, suspected of using the methods of the eco-terrorist group Earth Liberation Front, was arrested March 22 for allegedly setting off or trying to ignite firebombs under seven -SUVs over four days from March 18 to March 21. All of the targeted cars were parked in the Cherry Creek and Lowry neighborhoods.
Police tracked down Barnes through a car seen driving at the scene of some of the attacks.
In the back of the car, police found a box of seven more devices, which are replicas of bombs portrayed on ELF’s Web site, according to a search warrant affidavit by Denver Fire investigator Leif Skulborstad.
Directions for the homemade devices are titled “Arson- Around with Auntie ALF,” a reference to ELF’s sister group, Animal Liberation Front.
Someone wrote the letters ELF on a Hummer H2 hours after one of the firebombs went off.