Posted on 11/03/2008 12:09:53 PM PST by george76
The man accused of arranging for the killing of 32 bison on a neighbor's property struck a deal this morning in which he'll face minimal or no jail time but will have to open his wallet wide.
Jeffrey Scott Hawn, CEO of Seattle-based software firm Attachmate, pleaded guilty to a class 3 felony of criminal mischief and to a misdemeanor charge of cruelty to animals in Park County Court.
At his Jan. 28 sentencing he could get up to two years of probation and up to 10 days in Park County Jail.
Four generations of the Downare family, in cowboy hats and ranching clothes, were also in the courtroom, including head of the family, Monte, and infant Jared.
Prosecutor Katherine O'Brien said the Downares were "very reluctant to accept a plea, not because they are vindictive or have hatred or ill will."
Rather, they didn't want to accept a deal because killing livestock is such a serious crime in a ranching community
(Excerpt) Read more at rockymountainnews.com ...
***...and destroy his fences. ***
Oh, really? Most places have fence laws stating that the fence is to be bought and put up on the property line by BOTH owners. If one person puts up a fence he can go to court to force the other property owner to pay for half.
Many people just put up a fence one foot inside their own property and the law says the other property owner can not use that fence but must put up his own fence. Spite fences!
And this is relevant to anything I've posted how? I'd really like to know.
Hmmm! I wonder why MOST of those killed were on other peoples and US gov land then?
His attorney was Pamela Mackey, who successfully defended Kobe Bryant. Win some, lose some, always get paid handsomely.
1. It was 'open range', so it was HIS duty to fence them OUT; not the rancher's to fence them IN.
2. In the early stories, it also stated that the fences were buried in heavy snow.
3. The sheriff had already informed him of his rights and duties in response to his earlier complaints.
Since when do these outsiders get off violating the Open Range that’s been around for over a century just for their private lil’ petting zoos?
This criminal should be put under a dozen jails.
These Atzlan Native Community shooters were not hunters.
A real hunter would not let this happen.
Jeff Hawn never disproved that “the herd of elk that stays in that area or even Hawns horses rubbing on his solar panels and TV dishes “ were the cause.
Jeff Hawn pled quilty.
These are Vaughn Downare’s livestock.
” Part of the deal has him agreeing to pay $84,000 in restitution to the owners of the bison, the Downare family...”
These local DA's are afraid of her plus the small counties only have small legal budgets.
In any case, you don’t destroy another man’s property.
What sez Jeffrey Scott Hawn, CEO of Seattle-based software
firm Attachmate is supporting bambi for prez.He acts like a limousine liberal.
Exactly! - A hobby patch for rich, ignorant jerks.
In open range territory.
Its unlikely that the bison did the damage; the idiot probably did it himself.
There is a good sized bison farm right directly along side of I-79 in Edenboro, PA and I have never heard of them getting through that fence.
” I’m a native of Park County and get so sick and tired of poeple moving up there and then wanting it to be like the big city.
They cut up the country let their dogs run loose and this B!tch at you when you try to tell them that their breaking the law !!
If all those suburbia putz’s moved the h*ll out of there the county would be a better place to live!”
ht comments
Let me enlighten you then with a very obvious answer. The "hunters" he hired to get the ones on his property didn't bother staying on his property. Gotta do better than that.
Let me enlighten you then with a very obvious answer. The "hunters" he hired to get the ones on his property didn't bother staying on his property. Gotta do better than that.
I love unintentional irony (apparently it's OK if you let your ANIMALS destroy another man's property.
” I own livestock. And of course, I maintain my fencing in order to protect my own livestock. But Colorado law actually states that if you want someone else’s livestock to stay OFF your property, it’s YOUR responsibility to keep them out. I didn’t believe it when I read it, but it’s the truth.
If he didn’t want Bison on his land, he should have built better fencing (or bought different property) The fencing requirements to keep bison in (or out) are pretty tough - those animals can bust through a lot of serious fencing that would keep the average horse/cattle ranch contained.
He was in the wrong and should have maintained his own fencing. He certainly had no right to KILL them all. A good neighbor would call, and help round ‘em up and get them home. I’d be out of my mind if someone HIRED gunmen to kill all my sheep if they had managed to get out of my pasture. It’s one thing to get replacement value - but that doesn’t cover feed cost for the life of the animals you lost, or the genetics you were maintaining in your herd. That’s pretty rough to start over with a new set of genes, and animals who don’t know your land.”
ht comments
Next time you're there take a good look at the fence and guesstimate how much a Bison proof fence costs
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