There are times where a crime could be charged, where the law would allow it, but where common sense just tells you it’s a waste of taxpayer money, court time, and generally just doesn’t make sense. Such is the case of a 23 year old Jackson man now facing charges of animal cruelty.
What he did might not have been in good taste. But, it was something that many others would have done given the same set of circumstances.
He’s charged with killing a raccoon. Not a pet. A wild raccoon who had invaded his property and made a mess of his garage. The raccoon in question ransacked his garage, putting a hole in it, breaking a door, knocking over things, and eating bird seed. So the young man sent his dog after it.
One night last year, he sent his blue heeler into the garage. The dog came out with the raccoon and the man encouraged the dog to kill it. All the while two teens looked on, one recording the scene on his phone.
Now the young man, free of a raccoon, is facing 90 days in jail and a $500 fine for the criminal charge of animal cruelty, a misdemeanor.
Some may have done the same thing while I imagine countless others would’ve called animal control or even the police. Instead, he took the matters into his own hands, as a property owner, and eliminated the problem.
According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment you can hunt raccoons during certain seasons and that regardless of the season, a property owner can kill a raccoon if it is damaging his property. The problem here and the seeming reason for the charges is that he used his dog to kill the coon.
There are many who are wondering what the point of the charges are. It’s been covered by several local and even state media sources with the staff of the Jackson Citizen Patriot calling on the DA to drop the charges. She can charge him; it fits the language of the law. But it doesn’t necessarily fit the intent.
You might be facing similar charges, charges that simply don’t make sense to you. A local defense lawyer can help make sense of it all and crusade for your cause in the local courts. Contact us for a consultation on your case today.