I found this posted on a yahoo group i frequent... Thought i'd share... Jury convicts duck killer By Brian Fraga / New Bedford Standard-Times | Wednesday, December 9, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage An Acushnet man who ran over a duck in a mall parking lot was found guilty yesterday after only 15 minutes of deliberations. Joshua Linhares, 25, was sentenced to one year of probation for the animal cruelty conviction. Prosecutors were looking for a year in jail with seven days served. The high rate of speed he drives off in shows this was something more than an accident, said Assistant District Attorney T.J. Rebello, who prosecuted the case in New Bedford District Court. Jurors were shown a surveillance video taken from Macys in the Dartmouth Mall, which captured the moment Linhares car struck the mother mallard duck as she crossed a parking lot with her 12 ducklings. Linhares said he didnt see the ducks when he drove into the middle of a three-way intersection in the parking lot on June 13. After striking the duck, he said he slowed down and then drove away without stopping because he panicked. I was nervous. I didnt know what to do, Linhares said. A woman who was at the intersection testified that Linhares sharply turned his vehicle and sped directly at the ducks, which were heading in the direction of the nearby Olive Garden restaurant. According to Dartmouth Animal Control, the mother mallard had been nesting for at least five years in a retention pond behind BJs and Home Depot at the Dartmouth Town Center. The orphaned ducklings were temporarily adopted by a Westport family until they were released into the wild.
What a JERK!! really, how could you miss that?? Especially in aparking lot! one of the #1 places you are careful as can be. i'm glad they got the guy for it but that sucks that the momma was killed, especially when she had been in that area for all that time. it's just sad. I hope they released the babies back into the area.
Animal cruelty laws are in no way harsh enough...he should have been heavily fined too. My van was struck in a large parking lot and the guy tried to run...someone caught up to him and he came back, and he tried to tell the officer he didn't know I was there even though I saw him coming, had my van off at the time and laid on the horn to try and get his attention. Do you know they didn't even give him a ticket? His insurance paid out but he should have been held more accountable...he would have fled if a passerby hadn't caught him. Feel sorry for the ducks...people are just not held accountable like they should be for big things, and for small stupid things the government tries to micro-manage us.
What a JERK!! "I didn't see them, then I panicked (whine). O RLY!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! In RoosterRehab Land, (a world were all is mudwonderful and chickentastic as it should be), he would of gotton 12 months in jail, 3 months in probation, and a $400 fine.
I live a town over from the "duck murderer"...not proud of the fact. He should have been hung immediately. To kill her...on purpose....he was noted to be laughing as he floored it and drove out of the mall parking lot. Left those...think it was 12 babies, on their own to live temporarily at the animal shelter. Poor momma !!! She had raised her babies in the back of the mall parking lot for a few years. I guess she would walk them out into the parking lot. Folks around here were in an uproar. Hope that piece of crap is really proud of himself. He should never have gotten off so lightly !! DH and I thought they should have given the ducks a car and let them chase him around the parking lot until they had him pinned underneath the car ! Yes, it makes me SOOOOOOOOO angry !! He should have been hit with a HUGE fine...something to make him remember. A couple of years ago a man about 40 miles north of us clubbed ...not sure...think it was goslings...to death. If not it was ducklings. Sorry I can't remember the story. What makes some "humans" so miserable ???? Liz Rochester, MA
