Denver Animal Cruelty Defense Attorney
A Cruely to Animals Registration requirement in Colorado was defeated January 30, 2012, as Colorado lawmakers killed a proposal requiring those that are convicted of animal cruelty crimes to register in much the same way sex offenders are required to do in Denver, Jefferson, Douglas, Arapahoe and Adams County. The bill was sponsored by Democratic Rep. Jeanne Labuda, from Denver’s House District 1. Apparently, she had nothing better to do. It is the nature of legislatures to pass new laws, because it is the way they gain recognition and reelection. Colorado already has extensive Cruelty to Animals laws. C.R.S. 18-9-202.
Cruelty to Animals Lawyer – How Far is Too Far?
While this Colorado animal cruelty law did not appeal to the senses of this session yet, laws to register animal abusers in Colorado and municipalities like Aurora, Westminster, Littleton, or Centennial, are bound to catch on. These tactics provide a convenient way to instill fear into the masses, and create an illusion that lawmakers are doing something to protect us. This legislator must think we are entitled to know if our neighbor over-fed his cat or killed his parakeet in a fit of rage. What about the inhumane trapping of mice?
Animal Abuse Registration
Proponents don’t actually call animal abuse registration punishment; it is all done in the name of public safety. With no research to back up their claims, we are told that if you know which people in your neighborhood have been convicted of kicking “Lucky” in the past, your children, and your dog (the one that poops on everyone else’s lawn), can be kept at a safe distance from the murderer in the making.
Animal Abuse Defense Lawyer in Arapahoe County
If this bill would have passed in Colorado, anyone over the age of 18 convicted of; cruelty to animals, cruelty to a service animal, aggravated cruelty to animals, or animal fighting, would be required to register for five years. Proponents of this type of legislation (such as Stephen Wells, Executive Director of the Animal Legal Defense Fund) support this kind of legislation by making connections between well known serial killers and their history of animal abuse. However, Wells fails to show how registration will prevent future cruelty to animals or other crimes such as sex assault on a child, child abuse, sexual exploitation of a child, or domestic violence. I wonder if anyone ever considered where the tax dollars would come from to fund this registration act.
At O’Malley Law Office, P.C., our attorneys are dedicated to aggressively fighting to protect your rights concerning Cruelty to Animal charges or unnecessary registraiton acts. If you or someone you know has been charged with animal cruelty, exercise your right to remain silent, and call us at 303-731-0719. Together, we can protect your future.