Going to court

[Pat]

First off, let me give you some history with the Andrews.

 

They live down the street from us. A house that's (currently) empty, separates our two houses. They were living here before us (we've been here for about ten years), and they hate us. God only knows why.

 

They have three sons, and a daughter. The sons are juvenile delinquents. Or, a better way to put it would be sh*theads with criminal records that are easily a few inches thick. They bullied me constantly while I was growing up, they stole my bike, they broke into the house neighboring ours (not the one that's empty, the one on the other side of us) and tried to blame me, they printed pornography off the internet and tried to blame me, and some other sh*t.

 

At the beginning of this year, we made sure to keep all four of our dogs either chained up outside (I know that sounds cruel, but please be aware that we constantly keep two or three bowls of water out there, and we check on them constantly) or inside the house. Of course, there are about twenty other dogs (including two that the Andrews own, f*cking hypocrites) that roam the neighborhood, and one of these dogs attacked one of THEIR dogs. Now, rather than face the fact that they were retarded to let a small dog loose in a neighborhood with large aggressive dogs, they decided to send us a letter claiming that they would take us to court if we didn't pay the medical bills, which came out to be around three hundred USD.

 

Of course, this was only a month after they had SHOT one of our dogs, with BUCKSHOT. He survived, with no long-term damage, but we ended up paying around a hundred and fifty USD for the operation. And because none of our dogs had been loose on the month that their dog was attacked, we didn't reply. I'm not too sure I could've replied without just writing obscenities at random with a few coherent sentences in between.

 

Anyway, they decided the best way to reply to this, was to wait for one of our dogs to get loose. And in February, our dog Sophie managed to slip out of her collar. They shot her, and she didn't survive. It honestly took me every fiber of my being to keep from swearing at their daughter, who I saw in their yard every time I drove home from school.

 

Now, I know which one did it. It's the same one that stole my bike, printed the pornography, and broke into the house. I don't have a written confession, but considering the fact that every time I've seen him, he's given me a huge grin, I'd say it's pretty obvious that it was him.

 

 

---

 

Yesterday, the one that was shot got loose for a few minutes. He didn't even LEAVE OUR YARD, and yet they called the police. Since the animal control officer has seen us a few times (and he's actually on our side), he decided to change the punishment. Originally, there was going to be a summons for our family to appear in court. When he found out that it was us, he included the Andrews. So now, I have to sit in court while these f*ckers try and persuade the judge into thinking that we're somehow the bad guys, when they can attempt to murder one of our dogs, and SUCCEED in murdering another, and just smile about it.

 

 

I've only been to court once, over truancy, and that turned out to be the school's fault (they somehow multiplied the amount of days I had missed), so I have no honest idea about defending myself (or, in this case, my dog) in front of a judge. I need ANY ADVICE you guys might have on ways to defend myself, and ways to show that the Andrews are in the wrong here.

 

Things to note: I doubt their other neighbors like them anymore than we do. I've witnessed their dogs roaming the neighborhood, while a leash law is in place in our county (and now, I'm going to start taking pictures). We still have the veterinary bills from Hershey's operation. We still have the letter where they demanded that we pay the bills for their dog's operation. We have a few police files from other instances that they've called the police. These are just a few things that could possibly help in the case.

 

 

And please, SERIOUS ANSWERS ONLY. If you feel that you can't reply in a topic without using some sh*tty meme or joke, then please, f*ck off.

[blahblah1212]

Try your best to find cold, hard, evidence that the one asshole juvenile delinquent shot and killed that dog. That wouldn't be too good for their case, but, I am no lawyer.

 

Good luck, I hope those fags get what's coming to them.

[Carnage1120]

All about eye contact, not too much, not too little.

Don't lie, all judges can read your mind. Im not kidding about the last part

[Guns N R0se]

Cool story br.... wait... wow that sucks.

 

Sorry about the dog I've got no experience in court, but good luck.

[Tsar_Smirnoff]

I agree about the evidence, you need to prove that scumf*cker shot your dog somehow.....the one with the buckshot, you said he was still living, does he still have noticeable scars from the buckshot? Maybe you could use that in court. I really wish I could help you more than that man...I sincerely hope you get this thing settled and I hope your sh*t kicking neighbors wind up in prison.

[Vive La France]

It seems you have a pretty solid case. Since the Animal Control guy is on your side, I'd say this: Don't get to emotional and don't insult the other family. Stay calm. Good luck!

 

I'm sorry about your dog, I agree, these guys should pay.

 

[Max]

Well, frankly this is a very messy situation and regardless of the outcome of the court case the bad blood between your family and your neighbours will only increase. That being said you're in this situation now and so the best thing you can do is to just tell your side of the story and try and keep your account, if it's asked for, as factual and devoid of insults as you can. As much as they piss you off the court won't appreciate you turning it into a shouing match.

 

 

Oh, and definitely don't show your penis again!

[SmellyJelly]

I'm no lawyer, but I would guess that you'll need their weapon to prove they shot your dogs. If you can get that then it'll help a lot. If not, then they could easily deny ever having one.

[Pat]

They actually called the police right after killing Sophie, and admitted to it. The dog wasn't on our property, however (it was in the back yard of the empty house), so there was nothing that they could do.

 

I'm sure it's on record, somewhere. And, as I said, I have the veterinary records from the operation that he had to have the fragments removed.

[xxxSIDESH0Wxxx]

also, make sure you appear to be level headed and intelligent. and like the other guy said, look the judge in the eye when you speak to him/her. bring along every piece of documentation you have. don't get too emotional about the situation, either. let them lose their cool first. the judge will assume things about the quality of their character (and yours). you won't need to expose their as*holeness. they'll do it themselves. just seem like a good kid who is concerned about the situation at hand. Be honest, don't try to embellish anything. and dress as if you respect the court. (even if you don't). saying "sir" n stuff might help, too. but yeah, the best thing is the hard evidence. scrape together everything you can think of.

Edited September 24, 2009 by xxxSIDESH0Wxxx

[blahblah1212]

It's times like this that I wished I was smart enough to be a lawyer. I would definitely help you as much as I could, but I already posted my best idea. Once again, good luck. A cookie for luck:

[Jean Capel]

As said before, keep a normal amount of eye contact with the judge. Try and find good evidence that isn't circumstantial or hearsay* against these guys. You said the neighbors might not like them? See if you can get them to be character witnesses for you or against them if that is applicable. You could also try and get the vet or the animal control guy, or both, to back up what you say about the dogs. Remember to get all your documents, the police files and etc together and have them organized. Signatures and dates help.

 

 

Also, remain calm, these guys may be assholes, but unlike in an Al Pacino movie, acting up in court won't do you any good. Another thing to note, appealing to emotion may help, for example, if you have photos of the wounds on your injured or killed dog, although that may be rough to see and carry into court, it may help pull on the emotional heart strings of the judge if he's an animal lover.

 

 

Also, if you read from that letter they sent you, make absolutely sure to imply or say outright they were trying to extort you, that won't make them look too good.

 

 

*Although, circumstantial/anecdotal/hearsay evidence is better then nothing.

 

Good Luck Mate.

 

 

 

 

[blahblah1212]

*Although, circumstantial/anecdotal/hearsay evidence is better then nothing.

 

Good Luck Mate.

Hear-say evidence was used in a recent murder case if I remember right. But I think that was only in that state.

[BigAmericanTitties]

put together a flashy powerpoint presentation instead of simply putting forth evidence

 

EDIT: sorry forgot no silly stuff, in seriousness, dont act nervous. and make sure to work well with your lawyer, thats what i got from my aunt's case

[supermortalhuman]

What kinds of dogs are they? I mean, I read this, and I don't mean to offend you, but I read

 

"The Andrews have small little cute dogs and you have pitbulls, they are scary and mean and you live in some place in the states where for some reason you don't do anything to people who kill dogs with guns. If this was my dog, I would not have let it slide. One of your dogs nearly ate one of theirs and whether you knew it or not, it had to have happened, because people wouldn't send a bill for nothing, AND THE INNOCENT WOULDN'T IGNORE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. Now they are moving against you and you've nearly got your story straight, but as it would appear, you're still scared. Innocence is not fearful."

 

I don't know man, I don't know you, but it doesn't look sincere to me - if I read it wrong, realize the cynicism of the internet, and know that I hope you the best in that case. But if your dogs nearly ate my dog, and it's a pitbull and I live in a family that has cute little dogs, I'd shoot it when I saw it too, out of fear, let alone the price of the bills I paid.

 

When they SHOT your dog why the frick didn't you AT LEAST bill them? AT LEAST report them and NOT let up until their guns were TAKEN from them for using them lawlessly? Something is fishy about that. It sounds to me like they shot your dog because your dog was scaring them. If nothing happened to them for shooting your dog, the dog must have been wrong (on both occasions), thus, you paid your bills, "MADE SURE" they were tied up... Why? No fence? Can jump the fence? Your dogs are too big.

 

Man, I can really go on for days about how this looks, I don't see you doing very well if they have a case... If you're avoiding trouble, quit it and just accept: You will need to take responsibility for your animals, and if they are mean dogs, it's not their fault, it's who raised them to be that way.

 

Again, I do hope it just LOOKS that way to me, and for the record, do say what kind of dogs are they, and what kind are theirs (because it matters. If theirs is a poodle ad yours are pits, you are guilty in my eyes because people buy pits for two reasons: To kiss their ass and spoil them which is BAD and makes them mean, or to train them - there does not exist a neutral pitbull owner - either they are a defender or an offender of pitbulls, both of which is not healthy for pitbulls)?

 

your dogs' names scream the former. So, I hope I am wrong, and I hope you are not a victim of over-loving your dogs. And I hope I am wrong about all of this, and I hope the andrews really are assholes, and I hope they burn in hell if they are really this bad of people.

Edited September 24, 2009 by supermortalhuman

[Oblivionz]

Clearly you have something against Pits, supermortal, but I've seen pictures of Pat's dogs and they're not pitbulls.

[anuj]

Where do you live that people kill dogs and they don't get prosecuted for at least something like discharging a firearm within city limits?

[Pat]

We're a few minutes out of the city limits. And like I said, there's nothing we can do, due to the fact that it wasn't on our property.

 

Personally, I think it's bullsh*t that we can't press charges. The cops that showed up did, too. But, that's Tennessee for you. Beautiful place, just sh*tty to live in.

 

@supermortalhuman: We don't have a fence. If we did, we wouldn't be chaining our dogs up.

[anuj]

We're a few minutes out of the city limits. And like I said, there's nothing we can do, due to the fact that it wasn't on our property.

 

Personally, I think it's bullsh*t that we can't press charges. The cops that showed up did, too. But, that's Tennessee for you. Beautiful place, just sh*tty to live in.

 

@supermortalhuman: We don't have a fence. If we did, we wouldn't be chaining our dogs up.

That sucks dude. I'd hate to lose a dog to some scumbillybobf*ck. If I were in your position though, I'd build a privacy fence.

 

With parapets. And guns.

[Wolfenz]

Should've taken a stand to the kids a long time ago.

 

If they stole your bike, shoulda got them back. You've basically let them sh*t on you your whole life.

 

Although being blamed for porn is pretty funny, sorry.

[Mand'alor]

Dude, if I knew a dickhead neighbour of mine killed my beloved dog he wouldn't have the use of his legs right now. Seriously, try get that guy on his own and beat the shot out of him, use a crowbar if necessary.

 

About the Court case, all you can do is be sincere and likeable as possible to the judge and hope the corrupt bastard can see how scummy your neighbours are.

 

Edit: If these neighbours are as scummish and dickheadish as you say, they should be their own detriment in front of a judge. I really hope it works out for you.

Edited September 25, 2009 by Nixon

[Tsar_Smirnoff]

We're a few minutes out of the city limits. And like I said, there's nothing we can do, due to the fact that it wasn't on our property.

 

Personally, I think it's bullsh*t that we can't press charges. The cops that showed up did, too. But, that's Tennessee for you. Beautiful place, just sh*tty to live in.

 

@supermortalhuman: We don't have a fence. If we did, we wouldn't be chaining our dogs up.

Tell me about it, do you live in east Tennessee? The justice system around here sucks balls.

[Star-Lord]

OP hope your lawyer scares the sh*t out of them and makes them confess.

 

Best of luck and hope you win

 

Also: You can always sued them in a small claims court. For your dog's wrongful death, you can tell your lawyer to bring in the Vet, The cop who file the report and any other witnesses you may have.

Edited September 25, 2009 by pcguytech_2005

[Pat]

We're a few minutes out of the city limits. And like I said, there's nothing we can do, due to the fact that it wasn't on our property.

 

Personally, I think it's bullsh*t that we can't press charges. The cops that showed up did, too. But, that's Tennessee for you. Beautiful place, just sh*tty to live in.

 

@supermortalhuman: We don't have a fence. If we did, we wouldn't be chaining our dogs up.

Tell me about it, do you live in east Tennessee? The justice system around here sucks balls.

Nope, Middle TN. I live in Warren County.

[arsenal_fan]

Some little sh*ts in my neighbourhood damaged my car and i got tons of people in the neighbourhood to back me up as they had dome some damage to their places as well. If you could get some people in your neighbourhood to back you up, then your evidence will be much more compelling and not seem as a personal vendetta. But having the Animal Control officer on your side isvery good.

[iDon]

Sounds f*cked up, but seriously, kill the f*ckers.

[blahblah1212]

Sounds f*cked up, but seriously, kill the f*ckers.

That, unfortunately, would get him in deeper water. I wish they were dead, they sound like f*cking assholes.

 

[iDon]

Like said, get some witnessess, or anyone to back you up if you can. Hell, if you have to, set them up.

[Typhus]

What are this family like? Are they wiggers (chavs)?

If they are they may show up to court dressed like scum and actually shoot themselves in the foot. Make sure you dress well, sit up straight, don't fidget and adopt an expression of dignified stoicism. Their attitude, by contrast, will most likely be to leer at you from across the court. They'll slouch, they'll mutter, they may even start swearing.

Our opinions of others are formed within seconds. You have to show yourself to be smart and respectful and upset by the whole ordeal. They won't be thinking like this, they'll probably be thinking that they can intimidate you.

But just be mindful that after the case, things will probably be worse than before with these neighbours. It may get ugly.

[08LasVenturas]

I know where you're coming from. My dog got loose one day and ran towards my neighbors across the street so they called the cops, who proceeded to tell us that if it happens again, they'd call animal control on us & take our dogs away. We had to get a fence because of them so that our dogs can roam free in the back yard. Yet, I ALWAYS see their German Shepard running loose around their yard.

 

And on a side note, that neighbor calls the cops over everything. They once called them because their trash can blew away in the wind

 

 

But I'd ask some of your neighbors that don't like the Andrews to join you in court so they can defend you guys.