Teen off the hook in mercy snake-killing

[spottedowl 1]

Published: June 10, 2006

 

By KATIE WILLSON

Of the News-Register

 

DUNDEE - Dundee Middle-schooler Richard Cornwell is off the hook now in the case of the injured garden snake.

 

But for more than a month, he faced a Class C felony charge carrying a potential fine of $5,000. And his family had to hire a criminal defense attorney to get the 13-year-old off.

 

McMinnville lawyer Eric Hanson tells the story this way:

 

On May 4, Richard found a badly injured garden snake lying on the asphalt at his mobile home park. From the blood and wounds, it looked as if it had been run over.

 

He took it in for his parents to see and asked them what he should do with it.

 

His dad told him to put it out of its misery by banging its head against the pole supporting the basketball hoop, then hang it up on the fence for the birds. That would keep it out of the garbage and away from the kids, he said.

 

When Richard did as he was told, neighboring girls of 11 and 14 became upset and their dad called Newberg-Dundee police to reported a suspected case of animal cruelty.

 

An officer came out and cited Richard into juvenile court on a charge of first-degree animal abuse, which moves from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class C felony when committed in the presence of a minor. Anyone convicted of the offense is barred from owning or possessing a domestic animal for 15 years, in addition to other penalties.

 

Juvenile authorities dismissed the case Friday afternoon, following a pretrial conference. But Richard's mom, Terry, doesn't see why it ever had to come to that.

 

"He wasn't committing a crime," she said. "He was putting an injured animal out of its misery.

 

"This is ridiculous. If you're going to charge him, then fly strips should be illegal. And what about mousetraps?"

 

She said, "The police should apologize to Richard. It's kind of upsetting he was charged in the first place."

 

 

 

 

When city folk move into the country. I would have chopped the snakes body in half with a shovel and tossed it into the burn pile.

 

http://www.newsregister.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=209255

[ZeroTolerance 582]

Whacking it against a pole and then hanging it on a fence. Nope, cant see why anybody mistook this mercy killing for animal cruelty.

[lickin_starfish 1,480]

I would have nursed it back to health and read it bedtime stories. We would also play in the flower patch together. We would be best friends.

[phillybear 364]

His dad told him to put it out of its misery by banging its head against the pole supporting the basketball hoop, then hang it up on the fence for the birds. That would keep it out of the garbage and away from the kids, he said.

 

This popular technique of animal care was first perfected upon dogs. One alternate method also includes cornering the animal and beating it with a rake.

 

Also, I hate snakes.

[edjr 5,564]

THE PUSSIFICATION OF AMERICA CONTINUES!

[wiffleball 4,640]

Wonder whut they woulda thot of Rusty repeated shooting a lounging copperhead point-blank with his pellet gun at the last Geekfest.

 

And, yeah, there is absolutely zero common-sense in this focking world anymore. Between the cops, the courts, school districts, stewardesses, all of them combined have less common sense than that damn snake.

[phillybear 364]

Wonder whut they woulda thot of Rusty repeated shooting a lounging copperhead point-blank with his pellet gun at the last Geekfest.

 

Rusty told us a story of killing a King snake in his driveway last year.

[wiffleball 4,640]

Rusty told us a story of killing a King snake in his driveway last year.

 

Rusty looked like a kid on Christmas morning when he heard news of a snake on the property. He ran as quick as his bony little legs would carry him to fetch his pellet gun and flew off the patio in his quest to rid the world of this little copperhead.

[GobbleDog 816]

A garden snake? Who the hell cares how he killed it or whether it was dying or not? Sounds like the officers who responded were retarded.

 

I wouldn't have bothered to hire an attorney. The case is certain to be dismissed.

[hoytdwow 202]

his family had to hire a criminal defense attorney to get the 13-year-old off.

itsatip that public defender

[wiffleball 4,640]

his family had to hire a criminal defense attorney to get the 13-year-old off.

 

 

Shoulda called Michael Jackson.

[ArnieBragg 1]

Shoulda called Michael Jackson.

 

[edjr 5,564]

What about when Shovel's father or someone beat a dog with a lawn chair?

[phillybear 364]

What about when Shovel's father or someone beat a dog with a lawn chair?

 

This popular technique of animal care was first perfected upon dogs. One alternate method also includes cornering the animal and beating it with a rake.

 

Validate me.

[RLLD 3,455]

Utter nonesense.

[edjr 5,564]

Validate me.

 

 

 

I wasn't sure what had happend, but I knew it involved shovel and the beating of a dog.

[OD99 0]

 

I wasn't sure what had happend, but I knew it involved shovel and the beating of a dog.

 

Anyone who beats an animal deserves to get worked over.

[borg 0]

Published: June 10, 2006

his family had to hire a criminal defense attorney to get the 13-year-old off.

 

Couldn't the kid just go in the bathroom and do it himself?

[SigEp316 0]

Oregon

[hoffdaddy 1]

Couldn't the kid just go in the bathroom and do it himself?

[SUXBNME 1,335]

Oregon

 

With all due respect to SpottedOwl...