A Sample Letter to the Dakota County Judicial Center

This sample letter was provided by Animal Rights Online, May 7, 2001.

SEND TO: James C. Backstrom,
County Attorney Dakota County Judicial Center
1560 Highway 55 Hastings, Minnesota 55033
Fax: 651-438-4499
Email address: attorney@co.dakota.mn.us

Dear______________, This is in reference to John Christoffel who is facing legal charges for trying to save a dog that was being bludgeoned to death by a "man" with a sledgehammer. After pleading for the dog's life and calling the police, 19-year-old Christoffel finally resorted to trying to defend the dog by threatening the murderer with a rifle.

I find it extremely ironic that this dog-killing miscreant who passes himself off as a human being was only charged with a misdemeanor (equal to a traffic ticket). Meanwhile, Christoffel was charged with a felony and initially faced possible jail time for defending the dog. What's wrong with this picture?

I understand that the County Attorney has at least come to his senses and is now pursuing a lesser charge of "reckless use of a firearm." Whether or not Christoffel will accept that charge, or fight it in court, remains to be seen.

Christoffel's lawyer, Larry Leventhal wrote, "While we have not located cases that allow the use of weapons to defend a dog, we believe that this well-recognized doctrine should be expanded to include such reasonable conduct. Precious (the dog's name) was not only a neighborhood dog, she was a friend of John's, and John acted to protect her life."

Mr. Backstrom, as prosecuting attorney of this case, I cannot help but think you are going after the wrong person. Christoffel tried to SAVE a life. As you are certainly aware, the FBI has found that a history of cruelty to animals is one of the traits that regularly appears in its computer records of serial rapists and murderers, and the standard diagnostic and treatment manual for psychiatric and emotional disorders lists cruelty to animals as a diagnostic criterion for conduct disorders. Animal abuse is not just the result of a minor personality flaw in the abuser, but a symptom of a deep disturbance.

This dog killer is obviously a danger to society and must receive serious jail time and MANDATORY psychiatric treatment for his psychopathic behavior. As a society, we must call a halt to the acceptance of animal cruelty and enforce a policy of harsh punishment for these sadistic crimes. To allow individuals guilty of perpetrating such cruel and violent acts to go unpunished or not sufficiently punished, would be to sanction these horrific crimes and would permit them to go on to commit serious and violent crimes against innocent human beings.

And as for John Christoffel? Please drop the case against him and propose that he be made a town hero.

Sincerely,

Information Provided By: cecibn@sedona.net (Beatrice Welles)
Sample Letter Written By: SandieGaertner@gateway.net
For More Information on this Story: http://www.petwarmers.com/b

§§§

^{Back to the Article}