Justice for Newborn Calf in St. Tammany Parish

This week, three men pled guilty to stealing a newborn calf from Red Bluff Farm (known for its children’s petting zoo) near Folsom, LA and beating the animal to death with shovels last December after a night of drinking at a New Orleans Saints party spurred by the team's loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Dwayne J. Jenkins, David J. LeBlanc, Jr. and Carnie B. Smith stole the 3-day-old calf and dragged the animal to a nearby apartment complex on Louisiana 1078 where they had attended the party.  The intoxicated men took out their frustrations by beating the calf to death with shovels.

Jenkins, 36, of Mandeville, and LeBlanc, 22, of Gibson, pleaded guilty to aggravated cruelty to animals and theft of livestock; state Judge Martin Coady sentenced Jenkins to five years of probation. Coady also ordered Jenkins to help pay restitution for the cost of the animal.  LeBlanc's sentencing was postponed

Last week, Smith, 29, of Covington, pleaded guilty to aggravated cruelty to animals and theft of livestock; he also received five years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution.  A fourth man, Christopher R. Murphy, 27, of Franklinton, did not participate in stealing or killing the animal, but he removed the calf's carcass, drove into the wilderness and dumped it, pled guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor theft, and Judge Coady sentenced him to two years of probation.

St. Tammany Assistant District Attorney Harold Bartholomew prosecuted all four cases.

Louisiana laws that protect our animals:

 §102.1.  Cruelty to animals; simple and aggravated

B.(1)  Any person who intentionally or with criminal negligence tortures, maims, or mutilates any living animal, whether belonging to himself or another, shall be guilty of aggravated cruelty to animals.

(5)  In addition to any other penalty imposed for a violation of this Subsection, the offender shall be ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation and subsequently recommended psychological treatment and shall be banned by court order from owning or keeping animals for a period of time deemed appropriate by the court.  Any costs associated with any evaluation or treatment ordered by the court shall be borne by the defendant.

(6)  Whoever commits the crime of aggravated cruelty to animals shall be fined not less than five thousand dollars nor more than twenty-five thousand dollars or imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not less than one year nor more than ten years, or both.

Please let our court system and state officials know that animal abuse will not be tolerated on any level!