Regular readers might remember that the mayor of New Brockton AL, Lenwood Herron, was charged with animal cruelty in conjunction with severe neglect at the town’s pound last year. His lawyer attempted to get the case dismissed but failed. The trial began yesterday and included testimony from the sheriff, a veterinarian and a local animal shelter president who witnessed conditions at the pound in May 2011:
“When I got there, there were three dogs in the kennel and a puppy in an Igloo doghouse. There was a puppy I thought was dead in there and had a mass on the forehead and (an) eye swollen shut. I noticed two water containers that both had a black slush collected in it,” he said. “The pen was covered in 60 to 70 percent feces. One dog was shaky and trembling. These dogs were neglected and obviously in need of medical attention.”
The mayor’s attorney offered the it’s-a-conspiracy defense:
Letta Dillard Gorman, Herron’s attorney, in addressing the jury, said, “virtually everything they (council members and some residents) could do to him has been done, but he is still here. Any investigation going on is against him. You’ll hear from council members and some who are ‘attacking him.’ I want you to look at the witnesses and see the hatred in their eyes. It has nothing to do with animal cruelty.”
If the sheriff, the town council, and the residents of the city truly have it in for you, can you really put forth the notion that you are a good mayor? Seems slightly contradictory to me.
I’ll be following developments in the trial.
I hope they nail him.
Ditto! Grrrrr!
I can’t wait to hear what happens….
The town has only 1250 residents. How many duties does he have where he could not check the shelter and the condition of the animals? Must be pretty busy!
I hope he gets put in jail for a long time. Whatever happen to those poor animals under his care? I hope they were saved. I am tired of hearing these jerks abusing animals that did nothing wrong.
We’re watching this one carefully as it could help set precedent in our state. A contact of mine recently worked very hard to have criminal charges brought against county shelter employees for a myriad of atrocities and the cases are now in the hands of the District Attorney. What happens in one jurisdiction affects others not in a legally binding way but as far as expressing the culture of a state toward animal welfare. Thanks for the update!
Someone must be held accountable; otherwise, anything can and will happen, especially concerning animals because they have no voice.He is ultimately responsible for what goes on in any institution that is a part of the county. If he can’t do his job, he needs to give it up…
An update: the mayor was found guilty:
http://www2.dothaneagle.com/news/2012/jan/11/2/mayor-new-brockton-found-guilty-jury-ar-3024715/
TY Eucritta. Got it up.
Score one for the homeless animals who deserve our very best. I’m hoping this is helpful in the Calhoun County cases.
http://www.annistonstar.com/view/full_story/17016786/article-Findings-from-animal-abuse-probe-turned-over-to-district-attorney?instance=home_news
Me too. And every other crummy excuse for a shelter in this country being overseen by a crummy excuse for a mayor.