 Kitten choked, thrown against wall
Everett, WA (US)Date: May 13, 2001
County: Snohomish
Local Map: available
Disposition: Convicted
Abuser/Suspect: Skipper Arthur Kohn
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Skipper Arthur Kohn, a 32 year old Everett man who flew into a drunken rage and killed a kitten by bouncing it off an apartment wall, pleaded guilty to felony animal cruelty in June 2001. Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Kenneth Cowsert sentenced Kohn to a year in jail.
Kohn got into an argument with the 16-year-old daughter of his girlfriend after getting drunk on May 13. He broke some electronic equipment, and the girlfriend told her daughter to get the kitten "because based on the defendant's past behavior (she) was concerned that (Kohn) would abuse the kitten," court documents say.
Kohn grabbed the feline first. He choked it and tried to snap its neck. Then he threw the kitten into his bedroom and down a hallway, where it bounced off a wall, documents say.
Under the state's sentencing guidelines, Kohn faced a range of no jail time to up to one year. Although Kohn desn't have any previous felony convictions, he has been convicted of 39 misdemeanors. The convictions include offenses such as driving with a suspended license, drug possession, assault and domestic violence, the judge noted.
In court, Kohn told the judge he loves animals and doesn't remember the attack on the kitten.
The judge said he received more than two dozen letters and e-mails about the case, some of them suggesting that Kohn's fate should be similar to that of the cat. He said the public response was as great as any he'd had in his career as a jurist and a deputy prosecutor.
The judge said there appears to be no legal reason for him to impose a sentence greater than a year. In doubling the prosecutor's recommendation, Cowsert told Kohn he considered not only the act, but also the man's history and the fact he hasn't sought help.
Cowsert required him to successfully complete drug and alcohol treatment and anger-management therapy once he is released from jail. While on community supervision for a year after his release, Cowsert ordered him not to drink or live with anyone who has custody of pets. Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
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