AR-News: (PA - US)Man who killed family dog and threatened children, allowed to go home

[Snugglezzz at aol.com]

One can only wonder what kind of message this ruling sends to the children not only in this family but the community at large.
 
PA: Man who killed dog to return to family 
Fayette County: Ruling allows father who killed family dog to go home

By David Hunt
For the Daily Courier
Tuesday, June 8, 2004 


UNIONTOWN -- A Fayette County man under a court order to stay away from his family after killing their dog and threatening his children's lives will be able to go home under a new order issued last week. 
Scot Richard Maust, 34, of 197 Turkeyfoot Road, Lemont Furnace, was arrested in February on charges that he shot and killed the family dog, "Bear Bear," and told his children that he'd kill them if they told anyone what had happened. 

Through an agreement reached with prosecutors, Maust will serve a term of probation and undergo counseling. Such deals, referred to as plea bargains, are commonly sought to prevent case backlog. They do not become official until a judge imposes sentence. 

Maust had been free on $20,000 cash bail. An order handed down by Fayette County Judge Steve Leskinen reduces the bond to recognizance bond, a non-monetary condition of release.

Leskinen's order also lifts a previous bond condition that prohibited Maust from having contact with his children or residing in the family home. 

He will be reintroduced to his home and children through continued counseling, the order states. 

Maust was charged with corruption of minors, making terroristic threats and cruelty to animals. Each is a first-degree misdemeanor carrying a maximum sentence of up to five years of jail time. 

After shooting "Bear Bear" twice with a .22-caliber gun, Maust told the children to hug the remains, then clean up the mess, police say, further alleging that Maust threatened to kill the children if they told anyone about the incident. 

One of the children told police that Maust shot the dog because he didn't want it to get pregnant. Maust has claimed "Bear Bear" had rabies. 

Maust's treatment in the legal system has outraged the world's largest animal rights group. 

Dan Paden, a cruelty case worker with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said "We're appalled that officials would jeopardize the community's safety by letting this coward walk the street. Maust deserves to spend as much time in a cold jail cell as he does in a psychiatrist's office." 

Paden said PETA's members will be asked to protest the plea arrangement.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/dai...s/s_197827.html