Two years for killing a puppy

Posted 11/20/14

We are accustomed to getting press releases from the Attorney General’s office announcing guilty pleas or sentences arising out of criminal trials. We usually only publish the ones that relate to …

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Two years for killing a puppy

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We are accustomed to getting press releases from the Attorney General’s office announcing guilty pleas or sentences arising out of criminal trials. We usually only publish the ones that relate to the towns we serve, but Monday we got one we thought anyone would be interested in. We wrote it up this way:

“Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced yesterday that Superior Court Justice Netti C. Vogel sentenced Luis Laboy, 44, of 134 Willow St. in Providence, to the maximum sentence allowed by statute for killing his ex-girlfriend’s three-month-old Chihuahua puppy.

“Vogel sentenced Laboy to two years to serve for the malicious killing of a dog. In addition, Laboy was ordered to perform 100 hours community service, make a $1,000 donation to animal welfare program or animal shelter and is prohibited from owning or residing with an animal for 15 years upon release form the ACI.  

“On the remaining charges – domestic simple assault domestic, domestic malicious damage or vandalism, and domestic refusal to relinquish a phone – Justice Vogel sentenced Laboy to one year suspended with probation, to run consecutive to the term in prison, ordered the defendant complete batterer’s intervention counseling, undergo a substance abuse and mental health evaluation, and ordered to have no contact with the victim.”

We didn’t print it at the time for space considerations, but we saved it because it might be a good anchor to attach a few observations to before we dumped it into the mythic sea of yesterday’s news that recedes into the depths of our memories.

The first observation we made was that no one we told about it disagreed with the sentence. We all have nothing but contempt for someone who would kill a puppy just to get back at his girlfriend. But will we take as much notice, or as much vengeful pleasure, when Laboy is sentenced for the abuse he was so willing to inflict on his former girlfriend?

We suggest that other judges take note and use the Laboy sentence as a model when women are the victims. How about 100 hours of community service as fundraisers for women’s shelters and at least $1,000 to the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence?

And finally, how about at least 15 years before a convicted abuser can have another domestic partner?

Just something to think about…

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