GEORGIA -- A negotiated plea that would have meant a probation sentence for a man accused of repeatedly slamming a dog to the floor was rejected Monday.
Judge James G. Blanchard Jr., who presides over an informal version of veterans court in the Augusta Judicial Circuit, was asked to accept Lawrence Allen, 28, into the program. All participants in veterans court are serving probation sentences.
After hearing the prosecutor lay out what happened March 23, 2015, in Allen’s Grovetown home, Blanchard told the attorneys that this was not a straight probation term, meaning the judge believed some incarceration was warranted.
Assistant District Attorney Amanda McBride, who was handling Monday’s hearing for a fellow prosecutor, told the judge that several witnesses reported seeing and hearing Allen raise the dog over his head and slam it to the porch floor repeatedly breaking its leg.
When questioned by Grovetown Public Safety Officer Rick Baxter, Allen said he was disciplining the dog for defecating on the floor, McBride said. Baxter noted that one of the dog’s legs appeared to be broken. That was confirmed by a veterinarian, she said.
Part of the plea negotiation included Allen paying about $2,200 in restitution for the care of the dog, and relinquishing custody of the animal.
MILITARY GIVES HIM AN "HONORABLE DISCHARGE"
At the time of the incident, Allen was active duty. He has since received an honorable discharge, said defense attorney William Sussman.
(Augusta Chronicle - July 18, 2016)
