Animal Welfare Court - National District Attorneys Association

Animal Welfare Court
Honorable Maria Felix
Justice of the Peace
Pima County Justice Court
Kendrick Wilson
Deputy County Attorney
Pima County Attorney’s Office
Adam Rossi
Deputy County Attorney
Pima County Attorney’s Office
History
I.
Inclusion of stakeholders:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
County Attorney’s Office
Judge Felix
Justice Court Staff
Pima Animal Care Center Officers
Arizona Game and Fish Department
Pima County Sheriff’s Department
Defense attorneys
i.
ii.
iii.
Ensure that the process is not ex parte
Surprisingly helpful input
Often “deputized” to help their clients realize the
criminal nature of their behavior
History
II.
Incorporation of the
AniCare Treatment Modality
a. Identification
i.
Intentional cruelty – need for intervention
ii.
Hoarders – need for supervision
iii.
Unintentional cruelty/neglect – need for education
b. Treatment
III.
of different types of offenders
offered through Perceptions counseling
The specialty court begins
http://www.societyandanimalsforum.org/AniCare.html
http://www.animalsandsociety.org
http://www.nmanicare.com/
Animal Welfare Specialty
Court in Pima County
Justice Court
I.
Counseling services
a. Perceptions
Counseling – only provider in Tucson
b. Spanish
programs available for non-English
speakers
c.
Regular reports to Judge Felix for post-conviction
Defendants
d. Regular
review hearings to assess compliance with
treatment
e. ATOP
and ACE
AniCare
To learn more about the AniCare program,
register to view NCPAA’s
AniCare webinar at
http://www.ndaa.org/animal_abuse_archived_webinars.html
or visit
www.animalsandsociety.org
Animal Welfare Specialty
Court in Pima County
Justice Court
II.
1.
National Interest
Dr. Kenneth Shapiro, Executive Dir., Animal & Society Inst., Ann Arbor MI
AND (12/9/11 training)
2. Beatrice Friedlander, Managing Dir., Animal & Soc. Inst., Ann Arbor, MI
3. Tamara Ward, Comm. & Soc. Svs. Coord. Juv. Justice Svs, Albuq., NM
4. Allie Phillips, Director, National Center for Prosecution of Animal Abuse
/Child Abuse, Alexandria, VA
5. Ret. Judge Martha Grace, MA (to train)
6. Pam Russel (Priscilla), Policy Analyst, National Counsel of Juv. & Family
Court Judges, Reno, NV
7. Debora Lowther, Program Dir. & Administrator, Perception Counseling,
Tucson, AZ
Types of Cases
I.
Identifying more
serious misdemeanor offenses
a.
b.
c.
Intentional Cruelty
Hoarders
Unintentional Cruelty/Neglect
Types of Cases
II.
Intervention – Protecting the
Community
i.
ii.
III.
Identifying Cases to Review for
Felony Charges
i.
IV.
Prevent Recidivism
Prevent Graduation in Species
A.R.S. §13-2910(A)(8-11)(13), animal
fighting, and assault
Specialized pool of defense attorneys
Types of Cases
V.
Post-Conviction Issues
a.
Supervision by PACC
i.
ii.
b.
Officer specialty in these cases
Feelings of officers then compared to now
Regular Review Hearings
i.
ii.
Addressing lack of empathy in offenders
Updates from PACC and Perceptions
Counseling to determine compliance with
terms of probation
Current Specialty Court
Statistics
I.
Defendants currently in the AniCare
program
II.
Completion of the Program
III.
Fines/Probation/Jail
IV.
More Female than Male Defendants
V.
Most are between 25 and 40 years of
age
Future Issues
I.
Class Six Felonies vs. Class One
Misdemeanors
a.
Misdemeanor charges in the specialty court eligible for bench trials
More efficient handling of cases in the specialty court
Judge Felix is specialized with these type of cases – familiar with
AniCare treatment modality
Avoid “reinventing the wheel”
b.
c.
d.
I.
Introduction of Specialty Court Probation
Officers
II.
Expansion to Other Courts
Contact Information
Honorable Maria Felix [email protected]
Justice of the Peace
Pima County Justice Court
Kendrick Wilson [email protected]
Deputy County Attorney
Pima County Attorney’s Office
Adam Rossi [email protected]
Deputy County Attorney
Pima County Attorney’s Office
Need help?
Allie Phillips
Director, National Center for
Prosecution of Animal Abuse
Deputy Director, National Center for
Prosecution of Child Abuse
National District Attorneys Association
99 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 330
Alexandria, VA 22314
[email protected]
703-519-1674
Upcoming NDAA Webinar
How Forensic Veterinarians Help Prosecute
Animal Abuse Cases
Thursday, May 23, 3-4pm ET
Rachel Touroo, DVM
Director of Veterinary Forensic Sciences, ASPCA
www.ndaa.org/animal_abuse_training_webinars.html