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LA-Bill would create negligent homicide charge against owners of killer dogs

Vicki

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Bill would create negligent homicide charge against owners of killer dogs

by Robert Travis Scott, The Times-Picayune Wednesday May 27, 2009, 1:23 PM


BATON ROUGE -- Owners of dogs that attack or kill people could be charged more easily with negligent injury or homicide under a bill that passed a House committee today without objection.

Following the recent deaths of a child and an elderly woman in separate dog attacks in Louisiana, Rep. Rickey Hardy, D-Lafayette, offered House Bill 155 to open a broader legal channel for prosecutors to bring charges against owners of dogs or other animals that harm humans.

As amended in committee, the bill would not apply to livestock, dogs assisting the blind and some other exceptions.

The legislation expands the definition in state law of negligent homicide, which currently means the killing of a person by criminal negligence. The bill adds that negligent homicide also can mean the killing of a human being by a dog or other animal and that the animal owner can receive up to five years in prison for a violation.

The definition of negligent injury, which carries up to six months in prison, also would be changed by the bill.

Prosecutors already can bring charges of negligent homicide against a dog owner but Hardy's bill likely would make for a stronger case.
After getting approval today from the House Criminal Justice Committee, Hardy now takes the legislation to the House floor for further consideration.

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/05/bill_would_create_negligent_ho.html