Unusual 'Animal Cruelty' Request Denied In Deltona Case

[The Straight Story]

Unusual 'Animal Cruelty' Request Denied In Deltona Case

POSTED: 1:29 pm EST March 17, 2006
UPDATED: 2:35 pm EST March 17, 2006

A judge in Volusia County denied a request Friday to separate animal cruelty charges from the trial of a group of men accused of beating six people to death with baseball bats inside a Deltona home, according to Local 6 News.

Troy Victorino, 29; Michael Salas, 20; and Jerone Hunter, 19, could face the death penalty if convicted on 14 felony charges for the 2004 beating deaths.

During the attack, police said a small dog was killed and mutilated inside the home and found with the bodies.

Friday, a judge heard an unusual request from the defendents' attorneys to remove the animal cruelty charge. Attorneys argued the animal's death would likely influence the jury, according to the Local 6 News report.

"Defense attorneys fear a jury will be overly sympathetic when they hear the details surrounding the death of this small and harmless animal," Local 6 reporter Tarik Minor said.

http://www.local6.com/news/8082449/detail.html

[roguevalley]

1. Good. God help them if I was on the jury. For the people and the

little dog. God rest their souls. (The slain that is.)