Oct 25
Spent the day in court today speaking as a witness for the prosecution in the 1st degree Animal Cruelty case against Baxter’s neglecter. I was able to stay the rest of the day and hear the defense’s case and the closing arguments. Tomorrow the jury begins their deliberations…I am pretty hopeful that the jury will convict him…
Baxter’s abuser’s defense hinged on his claims that a) Baxter was in bad shape when he got him (due to recent gelding) and b) he only had Baxter a short period of time. Both claims got plenty of holes punched in them! Plus the prosecutor managed to reference Dexter’s case (in which he pled guilty to a lesser 2nd degree charge) because of a statement made by the defendent (that he would NEVER hurt an animal).
Oct 27
FANTASTIC NEWS!!! GUILTY ON ALL THREE COUNTS!!! One felony first degree animal cruelty for starvation of Baxter and two second degree counts for the mare and Baxter for failure to provide adequate shelter. Sentencing will be Dec. 10 at 9:30 at the Skagit County Courthouse.
To my knowledge, this is the first felony animal cruelty conviction that didn’t involve a DEAD animal.
