Tougher penalties for animal-fighting top the crime agenda for the upcoming General Assembly session.
The Michael Vick dogfighting case has spawned legislation that would increase the penalties for engaging in the fighting of dogs, cocks and other animals.
Under bill SB26, proposed by Sen. W. Roscoe Reynolds, D-Martinsville, organized dogfighting would become a racketeering-level offense with penalties ranging from five years to 40 years in prison and fines up to $1 million.
Reynolds said the intent of the bill is to make the penalties tougher than what federal prosecutors can seek and give police more leverage in investigating such enterprises.
Currently, state prosecutors can seek up to five years' imprisonment for dogfighting.
Federal authorities stepped in to prosecute the Vick case after the Surry County commonwealth's attorney said he didn't have the legal authority to sign off on a second search warrant of the Vick property. Reynolds' bill would expand the legal scope of search warrants.
Vick, a Newport News native and former star quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons and Virginia Tech Hokies, is serving a 23-month federal prison term for organizing a dogfighting ring at his Surry County home.
"There's been concern expressed for some time to the General Assembly about dogfighting and about organized dogfighting," Reynolds said. "It would put organized dogfighting on the same level as organized criminal activity."
Animal rights groups say they expect a greater lobbying effort at the 2008 legislative session because of the Vick case. Congress is also under pressure to make federal animal-fighting laws more strict. The Senate this month passed a tougher dogfighting law, and the House is considering a similar measure.
"Certainly, with the Vick case, this is something that's on our radar and will continue to be," said Daphna Nachminovitch, director of the cruelty investigations department for Norfolk-based People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Reynolds acknowledged that similar bills have been met with skepticism.
"One thing I found in the General Assembly is that bills that deal with dogs and other animals have pitfalls in them that may not be obvious," Reynolds said. "It's not unusual for bills involving animals to generate a great deal of discussion, both for and against."
Another bill, HB32, would increase the penalties for cockfighting and for fighting of all other animals except dogs. Dogfighting already falls under separate laws.
The fighting of cocks and other animals would become a Class 1 misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of up to a year in jail. Currently, anyone convicted of fighting animals other than dogs is fined.
Other major anti-crime proposals have yet to be introduced.
Officials in the governor's office and the attorney general's office said recently that they will introduce anti-crime legislative agendas at or near the start of the session, which opens Jan. 9.
Tim McGlone, (757) 446-2343, tim.mcglone@pilotonline.com
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So if they name new laws after the victims/perpetrators, can we name these the Vick Laws??? At least then he would have a lasting and worthy tribute to his now convicted animal abuser name.
Dogfighting?????
Dogfighting????? Did you miss the point! Did you read this article with understanding?
What breed of dog is usually associated with dogfighting? Pitbulls! Were they not bred that way specifically for dogfighting? From what is written in this article does not address those dogs associated with helping the handicap, the police and are traditional pets. Correct me if I am wrong? If I am correct, it is like I previously stated a waste of energy at this time!
Okay then!
Well for those of you like budnbarb57, maybe we coudl arrange for some of these dogfighters to move in next door to you-wouldn't it be wonderful to have large pit-bulls chained up behind your neighbors home, barking and snarling at each other morning, noon and night?
Perhaps you would like the fine selection of thugs and gangstuah's who participate in these events coming to your neighborhood with their illegal drugs and firearms-which most participants are caught with, parking in your driveway? How about the gambling and arguments/gunfire that always seem to follow?
why all the anger?
you'd think the article was about doubling your income tax.If the GA could snap it's fingers & make drugs go away,force Saudi Arabia to lower the price of oil I'm sure they'd get right on it.The'overpaid'NFL thug spawned all this n ruined his own career.That's who you've had'enough already'of.It's because of his fame they are 'wasting time'for fear of copycats who are fans and admire him that might change 'careers'("look how much Vick made dogfighting")either ur angry Vick fans or a drug dog busted you at one time.i can't thnk of any other reason for the anger.
Dog Fighting
Capital Crime. Good idea! I don't think it's a waste of time protecting man's best friend. Are Guide dog's for the Blind, Police & Drug dogs, Search and Rescue Dog's, therapy dog's, Companion Dog's, Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, Old Yeller, also a waste of time. We grew up on this stuff. America and Family traditions. Now what's left. I'd rather waste my time on the good old stuff then on some over paid jock like mike vick. Enough said.
Lame
A tactic used over and over again to minimize a subject is to bring up an unrelated problem with the intent to subvert the subject matter by implying we should do nothing to solve the problem in question until a non related problem is fixed first. With this type of reasoning we should forgo all the crime and problems of the world until any one particular problem is addressed and solved fist.
Nonsense!
More dogfighting issues?????
I am sick of all the energy (which equates to money) that is being wasted on this dogfighting issue! Enough already! Most of us do not care that much. Although I do not dislike dogs or pets in general, lets take care of each other first. We still have lots of work to do with each other before we can spend this kind of energy on dog problems. Gee whiz!
Finally!
It's about time animal cruelty starts being taken seriously. 5 years for dogfighting is a joke. The penalty Vick and his buddies got for not only fighting but also personally torturing and murdering through brutal means is pathetic. These are living, feeling, trusting, LOVING, companion animals and people shown to have participated in this horrific abuse should be dealt with much more harshly.
If you don't like it
If you don't like the bill then don't get involved with dog fighting and you will never have to deal with it. Some of us... Actually I think I can say most of us are fed up with people hurting animals and there needs to be stiffer penalties for the low life that participate in this kind of behavior.
Dogfighting Legislation
I cannot believe the Virginia legislators waste of their time. When the state is crumbling over gasoline/oil prices, murder rates, child porno, drugs, despicable roads,air quality and more tolls on the horizon. What does the
legislators spend the voters time doing?????Dogfighting issues (pardon me while I throw up). I guess PETA is stuffing their poor pockets. "I CARE NOTHING ABOUT MORE DOGFIGHTING LAWS." They are now strong enough to ruin aone of the largest super-stars in the NFL. What now? A capital crime?