A just – but sad – verdict in soring case
Columnist Roy Exum, writing for The Chattanoogan, offers this sentiment on the sentencing of walking-horse trainer Jackie McConnell, who was fined $US75,000 together with given iii years’ probation for conspiring to breach the Horse Protection Act.
At just 4 o’clock Tuesday afternoon, quondam Maryland Senator Joseph Tydings noticeably tightened when Federal guess Sandy Mattice announced after a brief respite that he would bring a contentious plea agreement, thence assuring series Equus caballus abuser Jackie McConnell would non become to jail. The judgement of three years of probation together with a $75,000 fine would afterwards survive called “a travesty” yesteryear the 84-year-old legal practiced who ane time served every bit a US attorney for Maryland.
After all, it was Tydings himself who created the federal Horse Protection Act when he served every bit U.S. attorney for Maryland 43 years agone together with today, although he sits ramrod demand together with is withal a skilled orator, Senator Tydings was the outset to realize that the loathsome McConnell, inward his brief together with well-coached remarks of remorse, never ane time mentioned or apologized to the hundreds of horses he has purposely abused together with tortured inward a well-documented bridge of over xxx years.
The ruling, although just, dashed the hopes of “many, many hundreds” who had written to Judge Mattice to inquire for stronger justice. But because of woefully inadequate federal laws against the depravity that has plagued the Walking Horse manufacture for good over one-half a century, the Horse Protection Act has been every bit lame every bit the horses it meant to protect together with a plea organisation was deemed at the real onset every bit the best “legal solution.”
Early inward the sentencing session it seemed every bit though Judge Mattice was wrestling alongside the plea deal, claiming rightfully “it ties my hands,” but upon arguments from both the prosecutor together with McConnell’s defence forcefulness team, the guess relented, proverb he was fountain yesteryear constabulary to brand “legal judgments, non moral ones.” Then, every bit expected, Jackie McConnell walked away alongside his gleeful menage unit of measurement rather than give Senator Tydings the satisfaction of witnessing the outset jail term to survive given since the neb was enacted inward 1970.
Granted, McConnell’s judgement was the stiffest since federal prosecutors inward Chattanooga became the outset always to enforce the Horse Protection Act final year. Earlier inward the twenty-four hours 2 of Jackie’s henchmen, stable paw Jeff Dockery together with farrier Joseph Abernathy, were each given sentences of ane twelvemonth on probation after it was learned they were paid underlings to the notorious scofflaw McConnell, who has at ane time been “banned for life” from preparation horses yesteryear the U.S. Department of Agriculture together with fined $150,000 yesteryear the agency.
It is no surreptitious that for over a quarter century such bans together with probation receive got meant absolutely aught to McConnell, who has fearlessly entered maimed horses inward shows nether other “trainers” similar the distressing Dockery, a wizened man who appeared earlier the bench alongside no teeth, much less whatsoever self-respect. He said he worked for McConnell for xxx years together with a rapt audience could exclusively imagine what that meant.
Dockery’s cowed appearance lone lent acceptance to the belief that McConnell, from Collierville, has made hundreds of thousands yesteryear abusing people similar his longtime stable worker too every bit horses. “Yes sir, I sored horses for him together with I’m sorry for it,” Dockery told the judge. The badly-broken Dockery together with his menage unit of measurement left the courtroom earlier McConnell’s instance was called together with neither human made oculus contact every bit Dockery shuffled from the courtroom.
While Judge Mattice together with others experience the USDA ban together with the three-year probation volition “make Jackie a changed man,” veteran observers of the embattled Tennessee Walking Horse manufacture are hardly every bit optimistic. Granted, McConnell is widely detested together with quite reviled yesteryear both Earth together with the honest horsemen of the basis but his entire life tin survive easily traced yesteryear violations together with suspensions that were previously handled inward a now-laughable way.
Remember, McConnell’s guilty plea was only for the outset count – seat out 2 through the other 52 were summarily dismissed. And spell Judge Mattice remarked that “just existence a federal felon is large to me,” McConnell, purportedly a millionaire after a lifetime of ill-gotten gain, was given nine months to pay his $75,000 fine together with – unbelievably — allowed yesteryear the courtroom to proceed to purchase together with ain horses that he tin maintain – together with do whatever alongside – in his infamous barn.
Face it; McConnell history lone makes him a series abuser. Judge Mattice said he doesn’t believe Equus caballus abuse is addictive but psychological experts enjoin us greed together with blood-lust may good be. While the courtroom tin neither examine a man’s yesteryear or his heart, Jackie has a fabled history of finding loopholes, ratholes together with willing conspirators to attain his passions.
Jackie’s brother, Jimmy, is a noted “Big Lick” trainer alongside a history of violations together with the deeply-sullied “performance” manufacture – centered inward Shelbyville – is believed to withal survive rife alongside similar rascals who alter horse’s names, come inward them nether pseudo trainers such every bit the gullible Dockery, together with receive got made soring together with torture almost a given inward the holler for for the unnatural high gait together with inexpensive bluish ribbon.
While the guess made several remarks almost a notorious record that has at ane time been seen the basis over of McConnell viciously together with sadistically attacking tethered animals, Tuesday’s sentencing was genuinely for a felony offense committed earlier the ABC News “Nightline” record enraged Equus caballus lovers to a greater extent than or less the globe. McConnell withal faces xiv counts for that episode afterwards this calendar month after they were brought yesteryear solid reason agents who raided his barn together with institute chilling bear witness the Federal Court was unable to present.
Then again, every bit scurrilous every bit McConnell may good be, representatives of the solid reason together with national Humane Society together with the USDA who attended the sentencing, believe Jackie is a fry figure inward the perverted basis of the “Big Lick.” The bigger destination is to prosecute the owners who let the barbaric “stewarding,” too every bit those who enable soring together with other abuse to badly plague the noble together with beautiful breed of defenseless animals.
Leaders of the Shelbyville crowd were conspicuously absent from the sentencing but after its fiery attacks on the Humane Society, the USDA, together with whatsoever other grouping clamoring for reform, the defiant opinion against regime together with its agents was good noted.
Bill Killian, the U.S. Attorney, promised in that place volition survive others who volition survive brought to trial. “We volition proceed to investigate together with prosecute cases involving violations of the Horse Protection Act every bit nosotros do inward other areas of federal law. The behavior on inward these cases has been far beyond whatsoever compass that nosotros mightiness receive got imagined,” he said.
Last calendar week tougher legislation was introduced inward Congress and, alongside Tennessee’s senators both blanching at the state’s regretful notoriety since Jackie’s video went viral inward May, in that place is a force inward the solid reason legislature too every bit inward Washington to brand certain that futurity perpetrators of the Horse Protection Act don’t skate similar Jackie McConnell did inward Chattanooga yesterday afternoon.
Exum’s column on The Chattanoogan website tin survive read here.
Belum ada Komentar untuk "A just – but sad – verdict in soring case"
Posting Komentar