Two years given in dog's death

Dallas Morning News ^ | 5/18/2005 | Brandon Formby

[sinkspur]

Denton: Jury says man's record, behavior led to maximum sentence

DENTON – The man who taped a 1-year-old black Labrador retriever's mouth shut in July, causing the dog's death from heatstroke, will serve two years in state jail, a Denton County jury decided Wednesday.

"What he did was an unbelievably cruel act, and he deserved to be punished," lead prosecutor Tony Paul said after the trial.

Richard Swift, 43, of The Colony was convicted Wednesday morning of animal cruelty. Jurors decided on the maximum jail sentence allowed and fined him $5,000, half the maximum.

Some jurors said the crime combined with Mr. Swift's six previous criminal convictions – including manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance and assault causing bodily injury – played a role in their decision.

"In the past, he's been given numerous chances to rehabilitate himself," juror Jon Burkhart said.

Mr. Swift was not eligible for probation because he once had probation revoked after he tested positive for marijuana and cocaine, prosecutors told jurors.

Derek Adame, Mr. Swift's attorney, said he was let down by the verdict and sentencing.

"You're always disappointed when things don't go your way," Mr. Adame said. "But I understand what they did and why they did it."

During his closing arguments, Mr. Adame conceded that Mr. Swift caused the death of the dog, Bull, but said that it was not intentional.

[sinkspur]

Call the dogs!!

[Texas Eagle]

Sick bass turd. They oughta take that tape and shove it down his throat.

[Dubya]

Good post.

[MHGinTN]

Was the guy's name Greer or Schiavo?

[StuLongIsland]

Hope they send him to prison where he be in with the general population, he might need soap on the rope.

[Dan from Michigan]

I hope he gets a few boots to the jaw, ribs, and knees while in prison.

[ambrose]

What a sick jerk.

I hope he rots.

[expatpat]

Greer and Schiavo should gt 2 years, also.

[hole_n_one]

Two years given in dog's death

The court should have reversed the dog years vs. human years equation and put that disgusting dirtbag in a dark, cold hole for 14 years.

[babygene]

I think the sentence was excessive...

[sinkspur]

I think the sentence was excessive...

He's a six-time loser. Perhaps he'll get the message over the next 24 months.

[FormerLib]

Here's the part where you get to say the guy was cheated because it "was just a dog!" LOL.

[Calpernia]

Ok, I'll bite. Why is it excessive?

[Nyboe]

meanwhile in an unrelated case, a Mass. court gave 2 years probations and 20 hours of community service to a man who rapped 10 children...

[babygene]

"Ok, I'll bite. Why is it excessive?"

Because we often do not punish crimes against people as harshly. Case in point: On the news tonight a woman who killed her newborn and dumped it in a dumpster was sentenced to 2 years today. That was in Idaho, one of the more conservative states...

It's also quite possible that a person (dirt bag in this case) would not realize that taping a dog's mouth shut would kill it. Dogs are muzzled all the time without ill effect to the dog.

[sinkspur]

meanwhile in an unrelated case, a Mass. court gave 2 years probations and 20 hours of community service to a man who rapped 10 children...

Fitty Cent puts me in a funk, too.

[de Buillion]

Hope he was sentenced to Huntsville. He might learn something there.

[Ramius]

Just because another crime isn't properly punished doesn't mean that this one might be excessive. It is the other that is insufficient.

[Xenalyte]

In an ill-advised moment, I once rapped to (or perhaps at) more than a dozen kids. It was unwise, sure, but I'm not sure it should have been illegal.