Darick Dashon Stallworth, age 31, was the first successful felony prosecution for animal abuse since the city intensified its efforts to crack down on such cases. Stallworth was arrested in the spring and charged with three felony counts of animal abuse and two misdemeanor counts of animal neglect. The police and Stray Rescue had found the decomposing bodies of five adult pitbulls inside who had been tortured. Stallworth was sentenced to four years in prison.
The day before Stallworth's conviction, Cennitra Fowler, age 21, was arrested and charged with two misdemeanor counts of animal abuse for allegedly neglecting and starving her dogs, and leaving one to die in a dumpster.
This is the result of the city's announcement of the formation of an Animal Abuse Task Force with from the circuit attorney's office, mayor's office, health department, and Stray Rescue. Animal abuse cases such as these used to be handled as ordinance violations in municipal court, and the health department issued 400 tickets for these violations last year. The circuit attorney's office is now reviewing about a dozen similar cases, and expects to issue more charges soon. The teamwork between the police and Stray Rescue has made it easier to crack down on these cases.
If you have been charged with animal abuse, you need an attorney. Contact The Sumner Law Firm today to schedule a consultation with our attorney.