[Trdma-l] Hearing for Richard Lang Trial

[Don Kiely]

This is from Stephen Kraft, who asked me to send this to the lists:


There is an important hearing scheduled for today, Tuesday February 6 at
3:45 PM, Room 202, Judge Burbank at the Fairbanks Courthouse.  You can
really show your support for strong prosecution of this case by attending
this hearing.  Owners and their dogs are encouraged to gather in front of
the courthouse prior to the hearing at 3:00 PM to show there support in
memory of dogs killed unlawfully and deliberately by others.  Channel 11
News has stated that they will also be there.  Following are some details
about this case.
 
Our Siberian husky Keesha, a well trained highly intelligent companion and
working dog was deliberately and maliciously killed and her body destroyed
by a nearby resident this past early spring before break up.  I only found
out that he had done this 20 days afterwards after recieving a phone call
from a nearby neighbor whose dogs had been shot by the same guy, the prior
summer, when she was out walking them.  He admited to the State Troopers
that he was not in defense of any life or property, that he did not feel
obligated to call us, the owners, or the authorities even though he saw her
collar and identification tags before he threw her body in a public
dumpster; and that he was initially just trying to "hit" the dog with his
shotgun blasts.  Yet when I asked him had he seen my dog, he
loudly announced to me in his words, "I killed your dog and I will kill any
other dog that I ever see near my property!"  This clearly shows he intented
to kill my dog and he was lying to the State Troopers about trying to just
wound my dog with his shotgun, also a crime in itself when not in defense of
life or property.  This case is currently being pursued by the State of
Alaska, yet plea bargaining threatens to reduce the original charge
of misdemeanor criminal mischief (willfull destruction of private property)
to an attempted criminal mischief charge with suspended sentencing that
would allow him to have a clear record of this crime in 6 months time.  We
don't feel that this is an adequate penalty that will deter him from doing
this again and will not allow citizens and law enforcement in the future to
know about this former diversion agreement if or should I say when there is
more trouble.  
 
See the following links including an online petition link that you can sign
online or at the courthouse prior to the hearing.  
Case# 4FA-06-2515CR, AK vs. Richard D. Lang
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/551100217
http://www.aldf.org/actionline/details.php?id=217
http://newsminer.com/2007/01/24/4693/.
http://newsminer.com/2006/06/30/656/
http://www.courtrecords.alaska.gov
http://www.courtrecords.alaska.gov/pa/pa.urd/pamw2000.event_1st?66778279 
 
Thank you for your support, Steve Kraft, Goldstream Valley