Student Accused Of Killing Raccoon That Was Skinned, Eaten By Fraternity

[Tony]

http://www.wftv.com/news/2825026/detail.html ...full article


ATHENS, Ga. -- A judge issued an arrest warrant Thursday for a University of Georgia student accused of killing a raccoon that was then skinned, burned and eaten by members of his fraternity.

Judge Patricia Barron said she was disturbed by the allegations and ordered Erik Robert Zimmerman's arrest on charges of animal cruelty.


:rolleyes: This judge needs to be euthanized for over-reaching her authority.

[epepke]

Someone in Georgia was criminally accused of killing a raccoon for eating? The world is truly becoming bizarre.

Raccoons aren't particularly good eating, though. I recommend beaver bologna. It's fantastic.

[Fade]

Did the student have a license to kill and eat that raccoon?

If he did, judge can go to hell.
If he did not, he commmitted a crime.


Edit-

Hrm.. Story doesn't say if the raccoon was attempting to *attack* the guy, or just sort of running in circles.

My incredibly biased self wants to think that they were doing a stupid frat thing and killed an innocent animal, but I need more facts.

[Tony]

Originally posted by Fade
Did the student have a license to kill and eat that raccoon?


Irrelevant.

[Fade]

Originally posted by Tony


Irrelevant.

In the US you are required to have a license to hunt and kill a creature.

That license is almost always seasonal, to ensure that the population of those animals doesn't decline to the point of threat/extinction.

So, was it legal for him to kill the raccoon? If the judge ordered him arrested, I'd guess no. I know it would be illegal *here*

[The Fool]

So whats the problem Tony?
disagree with animal cruelty laws? going to start a chicken stranglers support group?:)

[Tony]

Originally posted by Fade


In the US you are required to have a license to hunt and kill a creature.

That license is almost always seasonal, to ensure that the population of those animals doesn't decline to the point of threat/extinction.

So, was it legal for him to kill the raccoon? If the judge ordered him arrested, I'd guess no. I know it would be illegal *here*


It still doent matter. The judge is persecuting the guy on animal cruelty grounds, not hunting without a license grounds. Furthermore, are you required to have a license to kill a coon? I don't know.

[Fade]

Originally posted by Tony



It still doent matter. The judge is persecuting the guy on animal cruelty grounds, not hunting without a license grounds. Furthermore, are you required to have a license to kill a coon? I don't know.

That is what I am asking. That is why it's relevant.

I know in Washington state you can't kill any animal unless you have a license, or the animal is attempting to harm you, your property, or another.

If this kid made a mistake, and the animal was dangerous, then there is no problem.

If this kid tortured an animal, then shot it, he deserves to be punished.

The facts of the case aren't really very clear.

[The Fool]

Originally posted by Tony



It still doent matter. The judge is persecuting the guy on animal cruelty grounds, not hunting without a license grounds. Furthermore, are you required to have a license to kill a coon? I don't know.
Tony, Is this persecution or prosecution? If it turns out that this guy inflicted cruelty on this animal is he not subject to the law?

[The Fool]

Originally posted by Fade

I know in Washington state you can't kill any animal unless you have a license, or the animal is attempting to harm you, your property, or another.

Are you required to warn the Animal that you are armed?:)

[aerosolben]

Animal control officer Kim Winter said Zimmerman should have contacted authorities when he saw the raccoon.

This reminds me of a story:

A few years ago, my mother had a skunk on her property. It was slowly walking around in a small circle and was clearly ill. She called animal control to have it removed, and they told her to leave it alone, and they would come and deal with it. In about a week or so. She told them that was ridiculous, and they suggested she hire a licensed professional to come and remove it.

My mother, being the stubborn and practical sort, dug a handgun out of the basement, and shot it herself. Not exactly the safest thing to be doing, but in the face of letting it endanger the local pets and wildlife for a week, or spending an exorbiant amount on a professional, she felt she had no other choice.

Anyway, the point is that animal control isn't always a big help.

[waitew]

I'm glad that there are no unsolved murders or rapes or child abductions in that state......& there must not be if they have time for this.....the fact that the court has the time to deal with such a trivial matter means that no serious crimes occur in Georgia,doesn't it?
Sorry,but...so long as it's perfectly legal to plunge a lobster into a pot of boiling water & eat it.......I can't see how this can be a crime!!The judge is the criminal & should be removed from the bench & charged with a crime herself for even considering charging this young man with a crime & ruining his life & marking him with a criminal record when she probably eats/cooks lobster herself & wears furs!

[Checkmite]

If Washington State is like Ohio, then a raccoon is considered a furbearing animal and you must have a trapping license (not a hunting license). You must also take them in season.

[peptoabysmal]

I think there needs to be an autopsy on that racoon. It is very, very hard to kill a racoon with a pellet gun in one shot. I doubt that was the cause of death.

I also suspect rabies in this case. I have to wonder about the mental capacity of the person who ate some of the racoon.

As far as I know, there is no season on racoons and no license necessary to kill one. I don't know if it's still legal to hunt and kill them with dogs, though. That's cruel to both the racoon and the dog. Ever seen what one of these fiesty buggers can do to a dog?

[epepke]

Originally posted by peptoabysmal
I also suspect rabies in this case. I have to wonder about the mental capacity of the person who ate some of the racoon.

No worries.

They already belonged to a fraternity.

[DaChew]

The judge is wrong.

You do not need a license to kill or capture a racoon (at least here in Michigan) that is or is about to rummage through your trash. HOW you do it may be a problem if the locality has ordinances against discharge of a weapon. Here in Michigan that would not include a pellet rifle. Any animal exhibiting the signs of rabies can be taken without license in a reasonabe manner and that would include shooting and bludgeoning. The Michigan DNR requires that certain animals taken out of season (I don't know if this applies to racoons. I doubt it.) be reported to them within 72 hours. Animals suspected of having rabies SHOULD be reported to the DNR and locality who will decide whether further investigation is required. Most animal control agencies do not automatically remove animals unless they can be shown to be hazardous to humans.

Just this past summer we had a skunk who was obviously very ill walking in circles in our yard. We called animal control and they told us they don't remove skunks that we would have to call a professional animal removal service or trap or SHOOT the animal ourselves. In our area it is legal to hunt and discharge firearms. Additionally, an animal that is a nuissance may be removed at any time without a license. An animal doesn't have to be attacking to kill it. I got out my .22, loaded a subsonic bullet I had for just this purpose, and shot it in the head.

[Zero]

It is animal cruelty if it was tied to a contraption designed by a James Bond villian, or grabbed by the tail and beaten against a wall. If the guy just shot it or smashed its head with a brick, no real harm done.

[Pyrrho]

So, how are those idiot frat boys doing on their rabies shots?

They are getting rabies shots, aren't they?

[Mr Manifesto]

Originally posted by Pyrrho
So, how are those idiot frat boys doing on their rabies shots?

They are getting rabies shots, aren't they?

Rabies is a brain illness.

[Pyrrho]

Originally posted by Mr Manifesto
Rabies is a brain illness.
Right. I guess they have nothing to worry about, then...