Thursday, September 18, 2008

Kudos to one New York City District Attorney's Office

Unlike the Kit Carson County D.A.'s office (see Sept. 13th post below), one NYC prosecutor is taking animal cruelty seriously. Former Mets minor leaguer-turned-actor, Joseph Petchka, is on trial for allegedly killing his ex-girlfriend's cat, Norman, in a fit of jealous rage after complaining she loved the cat more than him.

Read about the trial in this AP article appearing on MSN.com.

I can't help but note a couple of things. One is that AP is reporting that the pair had only been dating six weeks at the time of Norman's death. What was this guy thinking? That his girlfriend would abandon all other relationships in her life for someone she had been dating for six weeks?

More importantly, the article also says that when Petchka alleged went into his drunken rage at about 3 a.m., ex-girlfriend Lisa Altobelli left the apartment to protect herself but apparently didn't think Norman was in danger. What was she thinking? Yes, technically, she shouldn't have to fear for Norman's safety, but then again, she shouldn't have had to fear for her own, either.

I certainly wish A.D.A. Leila Kermani good luck with this trial. I hope Petchka is convicted and sentenced to the fullest extent of the law. I hope this case sends a message to animal abusers to think twice about committing violent crime against the defenseless - and I hope that it also sends the message that if the N.Y.C. D.A.'s office goes after animal abusers like this it will go after perpetrators of human crimes hard too. But at the same time, there is also a message for victims here. Don't let yourself become a victim. Get out. And take everyone else with you.

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