A New York lawyer and member of the New York Bar Committee on Animals and the Law has formally requested that Elkhart County Prosecutor Vicki Becker reopen and reinstate criminal charges related to the Jayco cat-trash compactor case. Below is the letter:
Dear Prosecutor Becker:
I am an attorney duly admitted to the practice of law in New York. I am also a member of
the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Animals and the Law.
I write this letter to formally and respectfully request that you reopen the cases in the abovereferenced matters and reinstate criminal charges.
John Noone, Esq., Major, US Army (Retired), licensed to practice law in Colorado; Paul
Mueller (Former News Anchor and Influencer); Animal Victory; Meow Mission; In Defense Of
Animals; and National Animal News are among the almost 17,500 signatures acquired from
around the United States in a petition that joins me, in addition to your local protestors, in objectingto the horrible cruelty imposed upon these defenseless animals.
All three men involved in the incident were charged with violating Indiana Code 35-46-3-
12(c), which is defined as the offense of torturing or mutilating a vertebrate animal and is classified
as a Level 6 felony. This provision explicitly addresses situations where a person knowingly or
intentionally inflicts severe pain or suffering upon an animal.
Placing an animal in a trash compactor will inflict severe harm that leads to death. Such
actions are unequivocally regarded as animal cruelty and are illegal in most jurisdictions. There
is no ambiguity regarding this crime. Placing live animals in a trash compactor is prima facie
evidence that they were destroyed in a manner that prolonged their suffering.
The immense force of the compactor would cause severe trauma to the animals’ bodies,
including crushing injuries, broken bones, and organ damage. Not only would the crushing cause
acute physical pain, but also the animals would have suffered extreme terror of being trapped and
unable to escape. Additionally, trash compactors do NOT work quickly, and the process is
prolonged and painful.
The method is undeniably cruel and terrifying. It is difficult to fathom the magnitude of
the cats’ terror as they were shoved into a dark microwave box, and as they heard and then felt the
relentless walls of a loud machine close in around them. There is nothing quick or painless about
this horrific method.
An additional consideration in not reinstating criminal charges is that others will engage in
this barbaric and psychotic behavior in the future because there will be no fear of punishment.
The proper method of ending these animals’ lives, which should not have been done in the
first place since there was no hard evidence of any property damage and there were many other
non-lethal options available, would have been humane euthanasia by animal control.
I, along with In Defense of Animals; Animal Victory; National Animal News; Paul
Mueller; and Meow Mission, collectively have over one million followers on social media. In
fact, Elkhart County tourism follows me, as I spend a significant amount of money there each year
while traveling to and from Yellowstone. I have actively promoted Elkhart County on my social
media platforms.
Currently, my collaborators and I are planning to publicly speak out against Elkhart
County’s misguided decision. We will urge our large audience to boycott Jayco and the County
unless the charges are reinstated.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Respectfully submitted,
Maria Proiet
2 comments
The New York Bar has no authority over the Elkhart Prosecutor
Why this case was not prosecuted with the justice it deserves is a disgrace. Until any and all cruelty against animals shall be punishable and upheld for the injustice made and the perpetrators held accountable to the full extent. These cases cannot continue to keep happening and the perpetrators getting lax penalties. low, or set free