_ Prof. Jonez _
2008-08-16 17:42:56 UTC
Ariz. cop acquitted in police dog's hot-car death
3 hours ago
CHANDLER, Ariz. (AP) - An officer whose police dog died after being
left in a patrol car for 13 hours last summer in suburban Phoenix was
acquitted Friday of animal cruelty.
Chandler police Sgt. Tom Lovejoy was negligent, but prosecutors did
not prove he acted recklessly, a justice of the peace ruled. Lovejoy
could have been jailed for six months if he had been convicted of the
misdemeanor count.
So this same "standard" will now apply to Mother's who cook their3 hours ago
CHANDLER, Ariz. (AP) - An officer whose police dog died after being
left in a patrol car for 13 hours last summer in suburban Phoenix was
acquitted Friday of animal cruelty.
Chandler police Sgt. Tom Lovejoy was negligent, but prosecutors did
not prove he acted recklessly, a justice of the peace ruled. Lovejoy
could have been jailed for six months if he had been convicted of the
misdemeanor count.
infants inside hot cars, eh?
Lovejoy testified that on the morning of Aug. 11, 2007, after working
an overnight shift, he parked his police SUV in his driveway and went
inside. He said he was exhausted and forgot the Belgian Malinois was
sleeping in the back of the vehicle.
Also Friday, a San Diego police officer was charged with a
misdemeanor in a nearly identical case.
Paul Hubka, a longtime dog handler, is accused of leaving a 5-year-old
Belgian Malinois in his car on June 20, when the outside temperature
reached 108 degrees. Hubka had worked a double shift and was
exhausted and distracted when he got home, according to an attorney
who represented him on another matter.
If convicted of the misdemeanor, Hubka faces a six-month jail
sentence, a fine and restitution.
The city also sued Hubka to recover the cost to replace the dog.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iulG4Px2hj4RAXW-ffwlNgDZUTygD92J3FCG1
Officer charged in dog's death
By Kristina Davis
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
and Debbi Baker
UNION-TRIBUNE BREAKING NEWS TEAM
4:34 p.m. August 15, 2008
SAN DIEGO - A San Diego police officer whose canine partner died
after being left in the officer's sweltering patrol car was charged
Friday in connection with the dog's death, according to the District
Attorney's Office. Officer Paul Hubka faces one misdemeanor count of leaving a
dog in a
closed car in a high-temperature causing death. If convicted, he
could face up to six months in jail, a fine and be ordered to pay
restitution, a district attorney spokesman said.
A necropsy performed on Forrest, a 5 year-old Belgian Malinois, found
the animal died of heatstroke on June 20 outside the officer's home
in Alpine.
Hubka, a 22-year veteran of the department, is accused of leaving the
dog in the police cruiser with the windows rolled up on a day when
temperatures in the East County reached over 100 degrees, according
to the District Attorney's Office.
He is scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 28.
"There's no one that feels worse than he does," San Diego Police Chief
William Lansdowne said in an interview Friday. "It's very clear that
he lost a partner he was attached to and he knows it was his fault,
and he takes absolute responsibility."
Hubka's attorney could not be reached Friday afternoon.
The chief said he will decide on any discipline to administer in the
case when the internal investigation is completed in two to three
weeks.
"I do not see this as a termination case," Lansdowne said. "I believe
it was a mistake."
In 2006, a state law was enacted making it a misdemeanor for a person
to leave a dog unattended in a vehicle causing great bodily injury or
death. Only intentional animal cruelty is a felony.
In an effort to prevent similar tragedies in the future, the Police
Department announced Friday that it plans to buy heat-alert systems
for its fleet of 53 police dog cars similar to those used in other
hot-temperature cities such as Dallas, Las Vegas and Phoenix.
When the back seat of the patrol car reaches a certain temperature,
the system will automatically lower the car's windows, switch on the
air conditioning and sound an alarm. The technology will cost about
$36,000.
The criminal case is separate from the lawsuit filed against Hubka by
City Attorney Michael Aguirre last week. Aguirre is asking for the
officer to pay for the training and replacement costs of a new dog.
Aguirre also has refused to pay a $50,000 court settlement to Hubka
that was agreed upon before the dog died.
Hubka is the third law enforcement officer in the county to be
charged with a crime in the past three weeks.
San Diego police Officer Frank White faces two charges in an off-duty
shooting and road-rage incident in Oceanside, and San Diego County
Sheriff's Detective Thomas Sadler faces five felony charges stemming
from accusations that he molested a prostitute while on duty.
Both Sadler and Hubka are set to be arraigned on the same day before
the same judge.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080815-1634-bn15dog.html
an overnight shift, he parked his police SUV in his driveway and went
inside. He said he was exhausted and forgot the Belgian Malinois was
sleeping in the back of the vehicle.
Also Friday, a San Diego police officer was charged with a
misdemeanor in a nearly identical case.
Paul Hubka, a longtime dog handler, is accused of leaving a 5-year-old
Belgian Malinois in his car on June 20, when the outside temperature
reached 108 degrees. Hubka had worked a double shift and was
exhausted and distracted when he got home, according to an attorney
who represented him on another matter.
If convicted of the misdemeanor, Hubka faces a six-month jail
sentence, a fine and restitution.
The city also sued Hubka to recover the cost to replace the dog.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iulG4Px2hj4RAXW-ffwlNgDZUTygD92J3FCG1
Officer charged in dog's death
By Kristina Davis
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
and Debbi Baker
UNION-TRIBUNE BREAKING NEWS TEAM
4:34 p.m. August 15, 2008
SAN DIEGO - A San Diego police officer whose canine partner died
after being left in the officer's sweltering patrol car was charged
Friday in connection with the dog's death, according to the District
Attorney's Office. Officer Paul Hubka faces one misdemeanor count of leaving a
dog in a
closed car in a high-temperature causing death. If convicted, he
could face up to six months in jail, a fine and be ordered to pay
restitution, a district attorney spokesman said.
A necropsy performed on Forrest, a 5 year-old Belgian Malinois, found
the animal died of heatstroke on June 20 outside the officer's home
in Alpine.
Hubka, a 22-year veteran of the department, is accused of leaving the
dog in the police cruiser with the windows rolled up on a day when
temperatures in the East County reached over 100 degrees, according
to the District Attorney's Office.
He is scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 28.
"There's no one that feels worse than he does," San Diego Police Chief
William Lansdowne said in an interview Friday. "It's very clear that
he lost a partner he was attached to and he knows it was his fault,
and he takes absolute responsibility."
Hubka's attorney could not be reached Friday afternoon.
The chief said he will decide on any discipline to administer in the
case when the internal investigation is completed in two to three
weeks.
"I do not see this as a termination case," Lansdowne said. "I believe
it was a mistake."
In 2006, a state law was enacted making it a misdemeanor for a person
to leave a dog unattended in a vehicle causing great bodily injury or
death. Only intentional animal cruelty is a felony.
In an effort to prevent similar tragedies in the future, the Police
Department announced Friday that it plans to buy heat-alert systems
for its fleet of 53 police dog cars similar to those used in other
hot-temperature cities such as Dallas, Las Vegas and Phoenix.
When the back seat of the patrol car reaches a certain temperature,
the system will automatically lower the car's windows, switch on the
air conditioning and sound an alarm. The technology will cost about
$36,000.
The criminal case is separate from the lawsuit filed against Hubka by
City Attorney Michael Aguirre last week. Aguirre is asking for the
officer to pay for the training and replacement costs of a new dog.
Aguirre also has refused to pay a $50,000 court settlement to Hubka
that was agreed upon before the dog died.
Hubka is the third law enforcement officer in the county to be
charged with a crime in the past three weeks.
San Diego police Officer Frank White faces two charges in an off-duty
shooting and road-rage incident in Oceanside, and San Diego County
Sheriff's Detective Thomas Sadler faces five felony charges stemming
from accusations that he molested a prostitute while on duty.
Both Sadler and Hubka are set to be arraigned on the same day before
the same judge.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080815-1634-bn15dog.html