# Woman breaks into neighbor's home and grabs their pet dog and kills it by throwing it into traffic **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 1, 2014, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-breaks-into-neighbors-home-and-grabs-their-pet-dog-and-kills-it-by-throwing-it-into-traffic/687462 "2014-05-01T21:03:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-breaks-into-neighbors-home-and-grabs-their-pet-dog-and-kills-it-by-throwing-it-into-traffic/687462/1 "2014-05-01T21:03:46Z")
Apparently, a 27 year old New Jersey woman got into a dispute with her neighbor over a parking spot and then broke into the neighbor’s house grabbed their pet dog and then threw the dog into traffic where it was struck by a car and killed. > **[Woman Admits Tossing Neighbor's Dog Into Traffic Over Dispute](https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/woman-tosses-dog-into-traffic-kills-shih-tzu-new-jersey/1012286/)** > > A New Jersey woman has admitted killing her neighbor’s small dog by throwing it into traffic during an argument over a parking space. She pleaded guilty to burglary, animal cruelty and theft charges and Essex County prosecutors will recommend that she receive a six-year state prison term when she’s sentenced July 14. Barnes also would have to pay up to $2,600 in restitution and would be barred from owning, buying or living with animals for 10 years. … More to come later. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-breaks-into-neighbors-home-and-grabs-their-pet-dog-and-kills-it-by-throwing-it-into-traffic/687462/2 "2014-05-01T21:10:03Z")
I have to deal with someone at my door. More to come later. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-breaks-into-neighbors-home-and-grabs-their-pet-dog-and-kills-it-by-throwing-it-into-traffic/687462/3 "2014-05-01T21:17:14Z")
I’m not disputing the sentence in this case. But I see these kinds of cases are often resolved in very different levels of penalties and IMO, that is just not fair. How can it be that the personal feelings of prosecutors and judges can affect cases so markedly? Isn’t justice supposed to be blind? One thing that disturbs me is when the prosecutor said, “She broke into someone’s home and killed their dog and they watched it happen. Not too many things are more disturbing than that.” I would think that a great many things are far more disturbing than that and consequently, I think that statement indicates a very strong bias on the part of the prosecutor. Most any crimes that involve loss of a human life are bound to be far more disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-breaks-into-neighbors-home-and-grabs-their-pet-dog-and-kills-it-by-throwing-it-into-traffic/687462/4 "2014-05-01T21:36:47Z")
I think the sentence was too light. Waaay too light. 20 years to life would be more appropriate, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-breaks-into-neighbors-home-and-grabs-their-pet-dog-and-kills-it-by-throwing-it-into-traffic/687462/5 "2014-05-01T21:40:42Z")
I wouldn’t object to a heavier sentence either. My problem is how sometimes cases like this are resolved with a prison term of a few months whereas other times they are resolved with a term of a few years. My point is that there is often great inconsistencies and I can’t understand how that can happen in a judicial system that is supposed to treat everyone in the same way. I’m not so concerned on the specific sentence was that was imposed. I’d just like to see the same sentence imposed on everyone. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-breaks-into-neighbors-home-and-grabs-their-pet-dog-and-kills-it-by-throwing-it-into-traffic/687462/6 "2014-05-01T21:48:04Z")
Everyone crime is not the same, in addition to the imperfections in the system. So point to another case of someone breaking into another person’s home and killing their dog and we can compare them. In this case, the woman was a danger to society, clearly acting in a rage, and she caused greater harm. I assume “Not too many things are more disturbing than that.” meant relative to the crime she was charged with, not in comparison to a murder charge. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-breaks-into-neighbors-home-and-grabs-their-pet-dog-and-kills-it-by-throwing-it-into-traffic/687462/7 "2014-05-01T21:57:49Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > My point is that there is often great inconsistencies and I can’t understand how that can happen in a judicial system that is supposed to treat everyone in the same way. > > I’m not so concerned on the specific sentence was that was imposed. I’d just like to see the same sentence imposed on everyone. Who says the system is supposed to treat everyone in the same way. Hell, right here in Seattle in the 1990s the exact same crime (grown 100 marijuana plants) might get you 30 days in State Court and 5 years mandatory in Federal Court. It would just depend if the joint task force sent the paper work the state or federal prosecutor. In the case of the dog killing burglar, I would guess her prior history, how “out of control” she seemed, and whether she expressed remorse all factored in. And, of course, the culture and laws of the jurisdiction. Within one court system, people do try to compare one case to another when arguing what a “fair” sentence would be. The judge, of course, has probably sentenced 1000s of people, and also (hopefully) aims for proportionate sentences based on severity of the crimes. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-breaks-into-neighbors-home-and-grabs-their-pet-dog-and-kills-it-by-throwing-it-into-traffic/687462/8 "2014-05-01T22:01:41Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > \ > I assume “Not too many things are more disturbing than that.” meant relative to the crime she was charged with, not in comparison to a murder charge. I don’t understand what you mean here. I was indeed thinking of most any kind of case. My problem is that I think the prosecutor is extremely biased. This is definitely a terrible crime and deserves a very stiff penalty. But it’s not reasonable to make this out to be on the same level as the crime of the century. The prosecutor is really stretching the truth to try and get a more severe sentence and IMO, that is just not fair. So, throw her in jail for ten years if you like. But it’s wrong for the prosecutor to make out like this is the crime of the century just to get an extreme sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-breaks-into-neighbors-home-and-grabs-their-pet-dog-and-kills-it-by-throwing-it-into-traffic/687462/9 "2014-05-01T22:04:30Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Who says the system is supposed to treat everyone in the same way. Hell, right here in Seattle in the 1990s the exact same crime (grown 100 marijuana plants) might get you 30 days in State Court and 5 years mandatory in Federal Court. It would just depend if the joint task force sent the paper work the state or federal prosecutor. > > In the case of the dog killing burglar, I would guess her prior history, how “out of control” she seemed, and whether she expressed remorse all factored in. And, of course, the culture and laws of the jurisdiction. Within one court system, people do try to compare one case to another when arguing what a “fair” sentence would be. The judge, of course, has probably sentenced 1000s of people, and also (hopefully) aims for proportionate sentences based on severity of the crimes. You make a very good point. My problem is much more with the prosecutor than the judge. So, hopefully the judge will hand down a reasonable sentence - whatever that is. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-breaks-into-neighbors-home-and-grabs-their-pet-dog-and-kills-it-by-throwing-it-into-traffic/687462/10 "2014-05-01T22:08:17Z")
You seem unfamiliar with prosecutors. This one seems to be less zealous than many others. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-breaks-into-neighbors-home-and-grabs-their-pet-dog-and-kills-it-by-throwing-it-into-traffic/687462/11 "2014-05-01T22:20:10Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > I don’t understand what you mean here. I was indeed thinking of most any kind of case. My problem is that I think the prosecutor is extremely biased. > > This is definitely a terrible crime and deserves a very stiff penalty. But it’s not reasonable to make this out to be on the same level as the crime of the century. > > The prosecutor is really stretching the truth to try and get a more severe sentence and IMO, that is just not fair. > > So, throw her in jail for ten years if you like. But it’s wrong for the prosecutor to make out like this is the crime of the century just to get an extreme sentence. She pleaded guilty to burglary, animal cruelty and theft charges. It’s not the crime of the century but it’s pretty bad as cases like that go. Plenty of people commit theft and burglary and are cruel to animals, but how many take someone’s pet and kill it in front of them? The prosecutors job is to convince the judge to hit her with a penalty that fits this crime, that doesn’t get done by soft-pedaling the story. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-breaks-into-neighbors-home-and-grabs-their-pet-dog-and-kills-it-by-throwing-it-into-traffic/687462/12 "2014-05-01T22:32:18Z")
A lot of sentencing is done by haggling. If the prosecutor wants her to get 6 years, he has to ask for 20, and then “settle” for 6. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-breaks-into-neighbors-home-and-grabs-their-pet-dog-and-kills-it-by-throwing-it-into-traffic/687462/13 "2014-05-02T00:08:08Z")
never mind, I can’t think of a response that does belong in the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-breaks-into-neighbors-home-and-grabs-their-pet-dog-and-kills-it-by-throwing-it-into-traffic/687462/14 "2014-05-02T00:10:12Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Toss the cunt into traffic and see if she can survive, sounds reasonable to me. The only problem with that: you need bigger vehicles. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-breaks-into-neighbors-home-and-grabs-their-pet-dog-and-kills-it-by-throwing-it-into-traffic/687462/15 "2014-05-02T01:03:53Z")
I see she “will have to participate in anger management and drug and alcohol counseling.” In addition to that, I’d give her mandatory service in an animal shelter. Perhaps she could find her lost soul there. I don’t normally like the idea of service to animals as a “punishment,” but in this case it might be appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-breaks-into-neighbors-home-and-grabs-their-pet-dog-and-kills-it-by-throwing-it-into-traffic/687462/16 "2014-05-02T01:17:54Z")
Why should the animals have to suffer her presence? I agree with the “toss her into traffic” idea Cooper barks his approval as well, and offers to “do his business” on her as well… Thankfully, Maine is a Castle Doctrine state, I’ll leave it at that, read into that what you will… ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-breaks-into-neighbors-home-and-grabs-their-pet-dog-and-kills-it-by-throwing-it-into-traffic/687462/17 "2014-05-02T05:38:49Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > ::: snip :::: > Thankfully, Maine is a Castle Doctrine state, I’ll leave it at that, read into that what you will… What he said.↑↑↑ 🆒 Also the dawg ain’t gonna get thrown anywhere by anybody. ( 100+ # ) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-breaks-into-neighbors-home-and-grabs-their-pet-dog-and-kills-it-by-throwing-it-into-traffic/687462/18 "2014-05-02T06:35:58Z")
I’ve suggested this before. People who are convicted of certain categories of animal cruelty crimes should be required to go on a public registry just like sex offenders. And they should have to go door-to-door in their community and tell people what they’ve done. I think it’s legally justifiable - people who commit crimes against animals often go on to commit crimes against people. And the public shunning is a bonus. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2014, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-breaks-into-neighbors-home-and-grabs-their-pet-dog-and-kills-it-by-throwing-it-into-traffic/687462/19 "2014-05-11T05:04:19Z")
Let me guess: When the dog came back, he was smoking the cigar!