Hat tip to reader “James” for the link.
Please read and consider. The city of San Antonio, Texas has created a special court just to deal with pet cases. This is a function of the state’s court system, not a separate judicial entity. The special court has been functioning for 10 months and has collected $250,000 in fines.
Here is one example of a recent court case. A six-year-old boy went to school and told the school nurse that his dad’s chihuahua had bit him. The boys father was brought up on charges and a guilty finding resulted in a fine of $269.
Some probably will find not only the charge and fine ridiculous but the entire concept of the state creating a special court just to deal with pet issues beyond the scope of sensibility. Others will complain that animals are being either singled out for special treatment or singled out for special prosecution, along with the owners.
However, fear not! The city is considering creating special and crime-specific courts in order that judges can become “specialized” in a certain field of judicial expertise.
But the 10-month-old court is part of a larger trend in which cities are forming specialized tribunals to deal with distinct populations, such as drug addicts or the mentally ill. The goal is to allow judges to develop a deeper understanding of certain kinds of offenses, and better fashion appropriate punishments for those who commit them.
I repeat! What possibly could go wrong?
