MAYVILLE – A Jamestown man was sentenced on Monday to serve one year in Chautauqua County Jail on a charge of aggravated cruelty to animals, according to a release from Chautauqua County District Attorney Patrick Swanson.
Robert J. Overton, Jr., 48, previously admitted to hanging his pit bull in the winter of 2017. Overton, Jr. faced a maximum of two years in County Jail, according to New York State’s Agricultural and Markets Law. However, Overton, Jr. was committed to serve one year, minus credit for time served, after pleading guilty earlier this year.
“First and foremost, I again want to thank the Jamestown Police Department for their outstanding investigation on this case,” Swanson said. “Finding the perpetrator of this hideous offense took good old fashioned investigation. John Zuroski prosecuted this case for my office. I want to thank him for his hard work bringing this to a close.”
“This case reminds us of the deficiencies in New York State law. Many people believe that this level of punishment is insufficient. What I say to those folks is that they need to contact their state representatives and push for change. The actions of this man were dreadful. But two years was the maximum potential punishment under our law. The court sentenced him to a jail term that we are pleased with given the law. Mr. Overton will be the first offender to be placed on the Animal Abuser registry in Chautauqua County. My hope is that this man does not have domestic animals again.”
1 year isn’t at all long enough punishment for this scum for what he did to the poor fur babie, that poor dog did nothing to deserve what he did to hang him, maybe we should start doing the eye for and eye punishment to people, maybe then they would think before they did something so horrendous;
Why only one year if max is 2 years?