[Purple]

Valley dogfighting trial starts




By Karen Dorn Steele
Staff writer
February 12, 2008

Did law enforcement and animal control officers break up an illegal dogfighting ring in Spokane last year – or did they jump to conclusions in the midst of the highly publicized national outcry over football star Michael Vick’s mistreatment of pit bulls?

A Spokane County prosecutor and attorneys representing Peter S. Nelson and Alfredo L. Renteria gave different answers to that question Monday as the first trial in Spokane involving allegations of organized dogfighting got under way.

Nelson, 24, and Renteria, 26, are charged with animal fighting, transporting or confining domestic animals in an unsafe manner and operating an unlicensed kennel at 8006 E. Utah Ave.

In addition, Renteria is accused of one count of animal cruelty based on a neighbor’s accusation that she saw him hit a pit bull kept on his property with a pipe – causing the dog to collapse in convulsions.

It took days to pick a jury last week because so many jurors were questioned individually about the Vick case and their opinions on animal abuse. Several who were dismissed from the jury pool said they could not be impartial because of their strong feelings about protecting animals.
In his opening statement to the 11-woman, three-man jury Monday, Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Steve W. Garvin described a search warrant executed at Renteria’s Spokane Valley house on April 24 last year. Nelson was renting the house from Renteria at the time.

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service, a local SWAT team and the Washington State Gambling Commission were involved in the search.

The officers found eight pit bulls, including six adults with scars and other injuries and two healthy puppies. They also seized veterinary supplies, training logs and several periodicals, including Your Friend and Mine, which Garvin described as an “underground” publication about dogfighting.
Garvin also told the jury about a large number of tattoos on Nelson’s body, including one covering his back that depicts two dogs fighting.
In his opening statement, public defender Matthew Harget described Nelson as an innocent man.

Spokane’s animal control officers got caught up in a “media circus” after the Vick case and “rushed to some judgments” about what was going on in the Spokane Valley, Harget said, accusing local television stations of sensationalizing the case.

While the local chapter of the Humane Society offered a $5,000 reward for information on the alleged dogfighting operation, “not one single tip” has come in to incriminate Nelson or Renteria, he added. That statement was confirmed on cross-examination by SCRAPS director Nancy Hill.
The eight pit bulls have been kept alive under court order at the SCRAPS shelter as evidence in the case. But none of them has been designated dangerous, Harget said.

Scott Hill, Renteria’s lawyer, urged the jury to pay close attention to what the search of his client’s house didn’t find: photos or videos of dog fighting, dead dogs, fight records or awards, or evidence of gambling – the monetary driver for dogfighting rings.

Although the Washington State Gambling Commission had been investigating Renteria for possible involvement in dogfighting wagers, no evidence was found and the investigation was dropped, according to court documents.

A neighbor who is scheduled to testify against Renteria in the animal cruelty charge has given conflicting statements about what she saw, Hill said. “Her description is not of Mr. Renteria,” he added.

Liberty Lake veterinarian Dr. Mark B. Fosberg testified for the state about the condition of the dogs seized last April. He said the adults had numerous scars, torn ears and calluses from being tightly restrained by heavy chains. But the dogs were in generally good health, Fosberg said.
The chains used to tether them “would build up their necks and shoulders,” he added. When the officials searching Renteria’s property gave them treats, the hungry dogs “took them voraciously,” he said. Fosberg also testified that some of the veterinary medicines found in the home are used to treat shock or trauma – and he’s never prescribed them to a dog owner to keep at home.

A defense witness was allowed to testify out of order Monday about Nelson’s love of dogs.

Matthew T. Cochran of Alhambra, Calif., a production assistant for FOX TV News, described himself as Nelson’s best friend.
“I’ve never seen him harm a dog. I never saw him encourage a dog to fight,” Cochran said.

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/break...y.asp?ID=13621

[airwalk]

Renteria..now there is a name I've seen before. I'm betting No!

[panda]

Wow. This is really "hard evidence"

Garvin also told the jury about a large number of tattoos on Nelson’s body, including one covering his back that depicts two dogs fighting.

[jjc1982]

I have only been an owner of pit-bulls for about four years now, and have had to deal with ignorance on a daily basis since day one. We, as owners of one of the most stereotyped animals on the planet, should know not to judge a book by it's cover. I have personally known Peter Nelson for almost twenty years. He is the main reasons that I came to love pitt-bulls and bought two of my own. I can, without a doubt, say that Pete is one of the most responsible dog owners I have ever seen. His dogs might be outside on a chain during the day, but that doesn't mean that he is a horrible owner. In a perfect world there would be no chains, but this is no perfect world. They always had shelter and food. Did you read the part about none of the dogs being deemed dangerous?? Or the part about the tip line. We live in a society where everybody thinks about themself. That means if true, somebody would have called in atleast one tip on pete. I have never once heard or suspected pete of dogfighting, and am fully confident that he will be proven innocent.

[jjc1982]

pete has lots of tattoos, does that mean he is a bad person. no. tattoos don't mean that he fights dogs. again, we are getting back to the whole judging thing. there is too much of a stigma about tattoos. It is a completely different world today and they are wideley accepted. You go anywhere and you see tattoos. doctors, banks, anywhere. Yes the tattoo appears that two dogs are going at eachother, but that doesn't mean that he fights dogs.

[Michele]

The first post is a NEWS ARTICLE. The second post is a FACT with ONE exclamation point. The third post is sarcasm.

[JRSPITS]

The first post was of a news article NOT written by anyone on this forum. Just a post showing that anyone guilty or innocent can get charged with dogfighting. No one agreed that he was guilty, i'm sure the 2nd post was sarcastic.

[CoolHandJean]

Well, seeing how I haven't seen the dogs, nor does it seem like they have enough evidence, it's quite possible that Law Enforcement did try to jump onto the 'hero wagon' of the Vick case...
If in fact, the guy did hit his dog with a pipe, then he should get a fine or some time, at least...
As for dogfighting, whether he did or not, I don't know, but it doesn't seem like they have enough evidence to say he did...
Finally, yes, usually when someone says something like "hard evidence" it counts as sarcasm, even though, it is sometimes hard to tell if someone is being sarcastic or not on-line. But even if those two people were being serious, it is a bit much to jump to the conclusion that the whole forum feels the same way.

[screamin'eagle]

Keep this thread on track.

If it is in response to the original feel free to respond, and it may be more effective to contact the news agency and express any issues.

Do not bash members of this site, and all all other discussion needs to be taken to pm's or this thread will be closed.

[Purple]

2 convicted on dog-fighting charges




February 22, 2008
Two young Spokane men were convicted today of felony dog-fighting charges in a trial where the evidence was so circumstantial that the judge considered dismissing the charges before deciding to send the case to the jury for a decision.

Peter S. Nelson, 24, and 26-year-old Alfredo Renteria were found guilty of animal fighting, a felony with a sentencing range of 0 to 365 days in jail. Both men will remain free on bond until sentencing before Spokane County Superior Court Judge Tari Eitzen next month.

Renteria was found not guilty of animal cruelty – a charge brought after a neighbor said she saw him beating a pit bull with a pipe in his back yard at 8006 E. Utah Ave. During the trial, the witness said she saw a hairy, shirtless man – and Renteria’s lawyer had him take off his shirt to show he had minimal body hair.

Both men were found not guilty of transporting or confining animals in an unsafe manner, but were found guilty of operating an unlicensed kennel at Renteria’s house, where Nelson was the tenant.

It took days to pick a jury to hear the first charges of organized animal fighting in Spokane County. Many prospective jurors were questioned individually about the high-profile case of football star Michael Vick, who is serving a federal prison sentence for running a dogfighting operation and helping to kill six to eight pit bulls in rural Virginia. Several prospective jurors were excused when they said they couldn’t be fair to Nelson and Renteria.

A search warrant was executed at Renteria’s house on April 24 last year. Law enforcement and animal control officers found eight pit bulls, including six adults with scars and other injuries and two healthy puppies. They also seized veterinary supplies, training logs and several periodicals, including ”Your Friend and Mine,” which Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Steve Garvin described as an underground dogfighting publication.
Garvin also told the jury about large tattoos on Nelson’s body, including one covering his back that depicts two dogs fighting.

Assistant Public Defender Matthew Harget, Nelson’s attorney, and Scott Hill, representing Renteria, hammered on the lack of direct evidence linking the two men to a dogfighting ring.

At the close of testimony last week, Eitzen said she’d struggled with the circumstantial nature of the evidence over the long President’s Day weekend but decided to sent the case to the jury rather than dismiss the charges.


http://www.spokesmanreview.com/break...y.asp?ID=13797

[airwalk]

I posted the second and it was not sarcasm, but simply a statement.