Man Gets Prison For Stabbing Niece's Dog (9 years!)

The Indy Channel ^ | July 28, 2006 | AP

[Abathar]

LOS ANGELES -- A Los Angeles man has been sentenced to nine years in state prison for stabbing his niece's German shepherd between the eyes.

The dog survived the November attack.

The judge issued the maximum sentence to Hugo Vargas Garcia, despite a defense attorney's plea that he is a paranoid schizophrenic.

The dog's owner, Judy Ream, and her husband testified during the trial that they saw Garcia plunge a Swiss Army knife into their 2-year-old dog's skull because he was upset by its barking. Ream pleaded with the judge to show no leniency, contending that Garcia showed no remorse.

Garcia did not hear his sentence because the judge ordered him removed from the courtroom for repeatedly screaming at the prosecutor.

[Abathar]

Wow, now that's what we refer to around here as a "Hanging Judge".

If he was going to do that to a dog then it's only a matter of time before it was another guys head that was going to get it, but 9 years on that assumtion only? He really must have ticked the judge off big time to get that sentance.

[Gay State Conservative]

If he had stabbed his niece...in Massachusetts...he would have gotten 9 months.

Probation

[nuconvert]

Good riddance!

[dfwgator]

Too bad this judge wasn't on the Andrea Yates case.

[tdewey10]

Stab Dog (Crazy) = 9 years
Drown Children (Crazy) = Not guilty.

Hmmm. Makes sense to me /sarc

P.S. I like dogs and think they guy probably deserved this -- if nothing else it keeps a crazy guy off the streets for awhile.

[Vaquero]

Was the dogs name Sam and did Sam tell the perp to plunge in that knife?

[Michael.SF.]

Prediction: Someone will state that the judge was too lenient before this thread clicks over to post 51.

[Abathar]

Oh I totally agree, I think it should have been 5 years and 100 lashes in the public square but hey, I am getting more mellow in my old age...

[Drew68]

Wow, now that's what we refer to around here as a "Hanging Judge".

Looks like the judge determined (by all accounts correctly) that this guy is a freakin' psychopath and wanted to keep him off the streets for as long as she could. We'll probably read about Mr. Garcia again in a few years.

[AnAmericanMother]

. . . the judge ordered him removed from the courtroom for repeatedly screaming at the prosecutor. . . .

There's the reason -- guy is obviously and totally out of control, and he doesn't confine his attentions to members of his own family (domestic altercations have traditionally resulted in more lenient sentences because of the emotional component). Also, even though the article doesn't mention it I bet he's got a string of prior offenses. Folks don't get like this all at once.

[SQUID]

Women have been given a license to kill.

[cydcharisse]

Yeah, a guy can't stab a dog anymore without some uppity judge getting his panties in an uproar over it.

[CSM]

Woof!

[LibWhacker]

Garcia did not hear his sentence because the judge ordered him removed from the courtroom for repeatedly screaming at the prosecutor.

They should've stabbed him between the eyes to shut him up.

[Abathar]

I know, I live on a farm and if this judge saw me blow the brains out of a cow we are going to butcher he would probably cite me too. I guess its dependant on "feelings" more than the law.

[mrsmel]

Prediction: Someone will state that the judge was too lenient before this thread clicks over to post 51.

That judge was too lenient! (Sorry, I just had to do it;^) )

[italianquaker]

Thats me, he could rot the tough guy, hopefully he will meet some "friendly dawgs" in his cell

[xpertskir]

"Prediction: Someone will state that the judge was too lenient before this thread clicks over to post 51."

Real justice would have been letting the dog stab him between the eyes. Where was the judge on that one?

[RunningWolf]

You are exactly right on both counts. 2 years might have been more appropriate, but sill glad to him off the street for awhile.

RW

[mrsmel]

People who would pointlessly and for no reason harm animals are sick anyway. Serial killers have been found to do that when they're children.