My Dog Shoot Thing Decided in Court Today

[IDCC]

IC 35-41-3-2 needs to have a vicious animal section!

 

[tv1217]

What would the vet bill had been if you killed the dog and not wounded it?

5.98

 

[IDCC]

5.98

 

[jedi]

Just got some mail from the court.

The judge says: "The Court finds comparative fault. Although Mr. Zoomie has self defense rights, he chose (after retreating to safety and 'cuz he's a dumb Jarhead), to expose himself to danger and not call law enforcement until after shooting. The Court finds Mr. Zoomie 50% fault."

I have to pay 50% of the vet bill and court costs.

Here's the kicker...something I didn't know until just now...my neighbor, who was watching the dogs, was found to be 50% at fault and has to pay the other half of the vet bill..to the dogs' owners...their own son and daughter-in law.

I'm just guessing, but I imagine my half will be the only half the dog owner receives.

Maybe the judge isn't such a dick after all. I'm glad I didn't send him the nasty letter I typed up yesterday!

Curious...

After you retreated inside your home, what made you come back out to deal with the dogs? Perhaps I missed that part?

 

[Walter Zoomie]

Curious...

After you retreated inside your home, what made you come back out to deal with the dogs? Perhaps I missed that part?

Well...while I was back inside, I looked out several windows and didn't see the dogs anywhere.

Then, I figured I had better go outdoors to see if I could lay eyes on them one more time to see if the coast was clear to do the yard work I had planned. I didn't want to do this defenseless, as the dogs had already shown to me that they were aggressive and not responsive to commands of, "Go away, Cujo!"

When I reached my front yard, there they were, and they wanted a chunk of my ass...and I mean right now!

At that point, time and options had run out.

The rest is history.

 

[jedi]

Thanks for the clariffication. So being an old jarhead you indeed went looking for trouble just like a jarhead is trained and thus the judge gave you the "punishment" he gave you. Have you learned that the PC thing is to call the 5-0 and cry like a little nancy pants about a scary dog outside your home and that you need help.

 

[Walter Zoomie]

You pretty much nailed it, brother.

 

[88GT]

Well...while I was back inside, I looked out several windows and didn't see the dogs anywhere.

Then, I figured I had better go outdoors to see if I could lay eyes on them one more time to see if the coast was clear to do the yard work I had planned. I didn't want to do this defenseless, as the dogs had already shown to me that they were aggressive and not responsive to commands of, "Go away, Cujo!"

When I reached my front yard, there they were, and they wanted a chunk of my ass...and I mean right now!

At that point, time and options had run out.

The rest is history.

I'm wondering if you would have been handed the 50% liability tag if you would have tweaked your wording a bit to say "I checked through the windows to see if they were still there, if I needed to call animal control. Not seeing them, I went back outside to continue my day's planned activities. Well, apparently, they came back or had been hidden from view, because they were back and I didn't have time to run back inside."

Not that *I* find any problem with the way you handled it. Just curious that even though the ultimate outcome didn't change, and your refusing to remain a prisoner in your own home didn't change, would the verdict have changed had you put a different emphasis on your reason for going back outside.

 

[shibumiseeker]

One day, when I lived in town, I had a neighbor who had a very large aggressive dog that kept jumping over the 3' high fence they had around the yard. Over a week or two I watched the dog get out and charge passerbies and vehicles. One day I went out to get some firewood to have this dog in my yard barking and bluff charging me. I kept eye contact, hefty piece of firewood in hand, and backed back inside. I called animal control who told me that they couldn't do anything about it unless the dog was injured. I told them I'd call them back in five minutes and hung up.

Yeah, calling the "authorities" really works well. If they are going to make it illegal to protect yourself then they damn well better respond when called. Just yet another reason in a long line of reasons I am unwilling to let the "authorities" "handle" my personal safety.

Zoomie, ya did right as far as I'm concerned. If we ever meet then I'm buying you the beverage of your choice.

 

[Woodsman]

I'm wondering if you would have been handed the 50% liability tag if you would have tweaked your wording a bit to say "I checked through the windows to see if they were still there, if I needed to call animal control. Not seeing them, I went back outside to continue my day's planned activities. Well, apparently, they came back or had been hidden from view, because they were back and I didn't have time to run back inside."

Not that *I* find any problem with the way you handled it. Just curious that even though the ultimate outcome didn't change, and your refusing to remain a prisoner in your own home didn't change, would the verdict have changed had you put a different emphasis on your reason for going back outside.

As much as I hate to admit it, the above has a lot of merit. You have to be very selective in relating your version of the truth, even if it means playing miss nancy pants as someone else referred to this type of persona. If the dogs rushed once once and you mentioned something like the above before you ventured out the second time it's almost like strike two for the dogs.

I realize this is all 20/20 hindsight and may not have mattered in the final outcome, but from the one of two incidents I've been around I learned to be very careful with what is said.

Unfortunately, the justice system is full of fail, since the person who makes the decision can be level-headed or a fruit cake or any anatomical description you might wish to make.

 

[Walter Zoomie]

BTW...I'm working on the blog story thing still. It is long and detailed and full of self-serving, self-aggrandizing BS.

It requires much thoughtful editing.

It will be entertaining and educational, while at the same time irrepressibly drab and awful.

You all will love it.

Maybe.

 

[JetGirl]

Tease.

 

[Walter Zoomie]

I'm trying to not get my ass sued off.

Again.

I will not publish haphazardly just to satisfy the prurient interests and morbid curiosity of my readers.

Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

 

[JetGirl]

I've never been insulted so politely! I'm impressed.

 

[DarkRose]

I've never been insulted so politely! I'm impressed.

Yeah, he gets Rep for that one.

Well played sir!

 

[Walter Zoomie]

I paid the judgment in full today because I am a good American and a man of peace...like Gandhi or Mandela.

I asked the clerk if I get a lollipop or a bumper sticker or a key chain or a bobble head of the judge for my troubles...and my cash.

(I can tell she digs me because of my devilish good looks and my rapier wit. Who could blame her?)

She laughed and handed me a huge bucket of Dum-Dums.

So...I finger through the bucket and ask her, "What is this crap? Don't you have any good American flavors? I don't want no stinkin' pomegranate flavored sucker."

She found a cherry sucker for me, and I said, "Perfect. George Washington and junk..."

As I departed, I said, "I'm gonna try real hard to never come back here again."

She just stood there with her elbows on the counter and her chins cupped in her hands...staring blissfully off into space.

I could make her mine if I wanted to.

Maybe.

 

[Roadie]

IC 35-41-3-2 needs to have a vicious animal section!

Indeed!

No person in this state shall be placed in legal jeopardy of any kind whatsoever for protecting the person or a third person by reasonable means necessary.

Apparently this only applies if you use force against a PERSON?? Ridiculous.

 

[ghitch75]

only problem in all of this you should have used a bigger gun....

 

[theweakerbrother]

If you come to the INGO meet up tomorrow I will gladly buy you dinner and a beer to help offset the cost of the failed American justice system.

 

[YogiRC51]

Zoomie, you sir are my hero. You defended yourself, stood up for what’s right (the fine suck. to the judge) and could have had the girl. Well played!

As for the rest of you, I haven’t laughed so much at a thread. Ever!

As for the lessons learned, shoot till the threat is dead or gone, prepare for court, choose my words wisely and all way ask the american flovored lollipop.