Animal cruelty charge dropped

Sunday, April 26, 2009

A 45-year-old Trimble man accused of cruelty to animals was not prosecuted in Dyer County Circuit Court on March 17.

Michael Robertson, 45, 35 Gin St., had been accused of neglecting to feed and provide medical care for his dog, a bulldog mix. When the dog was confiscated April 7, 2008, it reportedly suffered from undernourishment and severe infestations of hookworms, roundworms and heartworms. The dog died April 15, 2008. Robertson said he had provided the dog with medical care.

In other circuit court action that day:

* Aisha Wiggins, address unavailable, was sentenced to 10 years in a community corrections program for abusing a child younger than 6. She was accused of injuring her 4-year-old son on March 27, 2007.

*Tara Nelson, also known as Tara Finch, 33, address unavailable, was sentenced on a forgery charge. She was accused of forging her mother's name to a government check and cashing it for $420.13 on Feb. 3, 2008. She was sentenced to a year in prison followed by two years in a community corrections program. She was ordered to pay $420.13 restitution.

* James Michael Stephens, 28, address unavailable, was granted pretrial diversion on a charge of theft of property in excess of $1,000. He was accused of taking a Miller Matic 180 welder and cylinder from Amtek in October. He was placed on unsupervised probation for two years and ordered to pay $599.50 in court costs. He also was ordered to stay off Amtek property.

In other circuit court news:

√ Wesley Hal Cunningham, 30, 420 Elm St. in Halls, was found guilty March 19 of violating the implied consent law. His driver's license was revoked for a year. A related charge of driving under the influence of an intoxicant was dismissed on March 31.

√ Lacy Deshon "Poo" Mims, address unavailable, was found not guilty March 20 on a charge of possessing more than half a gram of cocaine with intent to sell.

Comments

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HOW CAN SOMEONE BE FOUND NOT GUILTY OF ANIMAL CRUELTY WHEN AN ANIMAL HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN CARE...THE SIGNS WERE ALL THERE....THE DOG HAD SUFFERED....THE MAN SHOULD TOO.....NOT ONLY DID THE MAN NOT TAKE CARE OF DOG...THE LAW ENFORCEMENT DIDNT TAKE CARE OF LEGAL SIDE EITHER..THIS TOWN NEEDS TO ENFORCE ANIMAL CRUELTY LAWS....MAYBE AN ANIMAL MIGHT NOT BE SO AGRESSIVE IF OWNERS WOULD NOT MAKE THEM THAT WAY BY MISTREATING THEM...SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE ON THE ANIMALS SIDE....PLEASE HELP THE ANIMALS.....

-- Posted by lorenzo on Sun, Apr 26, 2009, at 3:30 PM

The guy wasn't even found "not guilty" , he wasn't even prosecuted. Where was the Humane Society in this? He's probably someones buddy...

-- Posted by Susie Mosley on Mon, Apr 27, 2009, at 11:36 AM

Tie his butt to a tree without food for about two weeks and then maybe he will see what it is all about. The law is more interested in convicting speeders than cruelty to animals. Our DA needs to wake up.

-- Posted by Bill W on Mon, Apr 27, 2009, at 3:43 PM

What IS WRONG with the people in this town??!! This message is directed STRAIGHT TO the person responsible for making the decision NOT to prosecute this MONSTER.....YOU need to learn how to do your job....IF THIS STUPID MAN will treat his animal like this, what exactly do you think he does to the people in his life???!!!! Did you ever stop to think of that? He must not have much of a heart or a conscience...oh I guess pretty much like you since YOU DECIDED TO LET HIM GO FREE WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A FINE!!!! Way to go....You'll have to answer for your actions some day, and it won't be to me. I feel sorry for you.

-- Posted by luccig28 on Tue, Apr 28, 2009, at 9:42 AM

This is outrageous! Dyer County needs to wake up and join the 21st century. This is not the 19th and 20th century where animals were commodities, women were property, and the "good ole boys" ran the town! Whoever let this monster go and walk the streets free should serve the same punishment as the latter. The DA in this county needs to move on and let someone more competence prosecute the monsters here rather than getting a feeling about something and working on that feeling.

A true test of a community is how they treat the helpless in that community. The children, animals, and elderly are the helpless and we as a community have FAILED them! Dyer County needs an overhaul!

-- Posted by MadisonB on Tue, Apr 28, 2009, at 2:43 PM