By AP
EAST LANSING, MI – EAST LANSING, MI (AP) - A woman who committed arson at Michigan State University and other acts of violent protest is asking a federal appeals court to throw out her long prison sentence.
The Cincinnati-based court will hear arguments Tuesday from Marie Mason's lawyer, who says a sentence of nearly 22 years is excessive. It's considered the longest in the U.S. for acts of eco-terrorism.
Mason has been in custody for two years. She admitted pouring fuel and starting a fire at Michigan State's Agriculture Hall to protest plant research in 1999. Mason acknowledged 12 other acts of property destruction in Michigan and Indiana.
The 48-year-old former Detroit-area woman was implicated by her ex-husband, Frank Ambrose. He's serving a nine-year prison sentence.