A 12-year prison sentence for a man who dragged a horse behind his truck has touched off a debate over whether a new animal cruelty law goes too far, when even homicide can result in lighter penalties.
Georgenan Lopez, who is in his early 20s, is the first person convicted by a jury under the law implemented in August 2008 in response to complaints that the US territory is indifferent to cruel treatment of animals.
The criticism gained traction — and publicity — in 2007 when authorities seized dozens of dogs from public housing projects and threw them to their deaths from a bridge.
Lopez’s attorney said on Wednesday that he would appeal, calling the sentence excessive, unusual and cruel, since convictions for crimes such as second-degree murder often yield lesser sentences.
“They are comparing an animal to a human being,” lawyer Julian Claudio said.
“The animal didn’t even die,” he said.
Prosecutor Andres Fernandez said the horse was dragged for about 15 minutes behind the truck as it tried to keep its balance and kept falling down. He said it had a rope around its neck that was tied to the vehicle.
He declined to comment on the sentence except to say that the judge was following the law.
Osvaldo Toledo, president of Puerto Rico’s Association of Attorneys, said the length of the sentence in a case where the animal survived sets a dangerous precedent.
“If you tell me the animal fell to the floor and was dragged like a bag of potatoes, I would say: ‘Look, you deserve those 12 years,’” Toledo said.
“I don’t approve of what the man did, but [the sentence] has to be evaluated,” he said.
He acknowledged that animal cruelty is a problem in Puerto Rico, but said more education programs and less extreme sentencing were the answer.
Toledo added that he would ask lawmakers to review the animal cruelty law to ensure that penalties are in line with the crime.
According to a transcript of the sentencing, Judge Jose Montijo told Lopez he had an attitude problem and did not communicate well with people, noting that the accused faced burglary and drug charges previously.
Judicial spokesman Daniel Rodriguez said Montijo would not comment.
Since the dragging incident last February, the mare has gained weight, but still limps and can never be ridden, said Lisa Embree, who runs a horse rescue group in northwest Puerto Rico that adopted the animal, dubbed “Little Miracles.”
She said she feels sorry for Lopez’s family, but praised the tough sentence as an important measure to reduce animal abuse.
“They are living beings,” Embree said. “They deserve to be treated as such.
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
Beijing is continuing to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in its western Xinjiang province, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a report published on Monday, ahead of his planned visit to China this week. The State Department’s annual human rights report, which documents abuses recorded all over the world during the previous calendar year, repeated language from previous years on the treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang, but the publication raises the issue ahead of delicate talks, including on the war in Ukraine and global trade, between the top U.S. diplomat and Chinese
HYPOCRISY? The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday asked whether Biden was talking about China or the US when he used the word ‘xenophobic’ US President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for a hike in steel tariffs on China, accusing Beijing of cheating as he spoke at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. Biden accused China of xenophobia, too, in a speech to union members in Pittsburgh. “They’re not competing, they’re cheating. They’re cheating and we’ve seen the damage here in America,” Biden said. Chinese steel companies “don’t need to worry about making a profit because the Chinese government is subsidizing them so heavily,” he said. Biden said he had called for the US Trade Representative to triple the tariff rates for Chinese steel and aluminum if Beijing was