Case Details
Case Snapshot
Case ID: 13362
Classification: Neglect / Abandonment
Animal: dog (non pit-bull)
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Attorneys/Judges
Prosecutor(s): Wayne Holmes
Defense(s): Andrew Stine
Judge(s): Kelly McKibben




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Dog starved to death locked in crate
Cocoa, FL (US)

Incident Date: Tuesday, Jan 29, 2008
County: Brevard

Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Christine Dawn Abrams

Upcoming Court Dates:
» Monday, Oct 20, 2008

Case Updates: 7 update(s) available

A Cocoa woman, who neighbors said loved her dog, abandoned him in a crate for two months and then told investigators she knew it would starve to death. Cocoa police on March 13 arrested Christine Dawn Abrams, 29, on a charge of cruelty to animals in the death of her two-year-old German Shepherd, Ella. She is at the Brevard County Jail and faces a $1,000 bond. Neighbors told police they were concerned that they had not seen Abrams or Ella for several months. "It was unusual for Abrams to be away from her home for any length of time," neighbors said. One neighbor peeked through a window of Abrams' home on Peachtree Street and spotted the dead canine inside a locked metal crate. Police searched for Abrams for five hours and found her at a new address on Parapet Drive, less than six miles from her former residence.

Abrams told detectives that the water had been turned off at the house in January and she had to move. She locked Ella in a crate at the old home because her new roommate did not like dogs. Abrams told the detectives that she knew what would happen if Ella was left without food or water for an extended period of time, the report shows. "Abrams showed no remorse over the dog," the police report shows. Cocoa Police Department spokeswoman Barbara Matthews said "this was a dog that was current on all of his shots. All she had to do was leave the door open." Police added that there was a bag of dry dog food just a few feet from the dog's locked crate.


Case Updates

Judge Kelly McKibben today granted a defense motion to move a hearing scheduled for Thursday in the Christine Abrams animal cruelty case to the next available docket sounding at 9 a.m. Oct. 20, a courthouse spokeswoman said.

Abrams, 30, is charged with two misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty in connection with the starvation death of her dog, Ella.

Police in March found the 1-year-old three-legged German shepherd�s body in a cage at a Cocoa home authorities said Abrams told them she left several months prior because the water had been cut off.

The case came to a standstill July 29, when Abrams� attorney, Andrew Stine of West Palm Beach, filed an emergency motion asking a circuit judge to remove McKibben from the case over alleged out-of-courtroom communications with a prosecutor about incorrectly filed paperwork.

In asking for the continuance, Stine said he is in trial in Palm Beach County and that the court here has limited jurisdiction over Abrams� case until Circuit Judge Tonya Rainwater rules on his motion, spokeswoman Michelle Kennedy said.
Source: Florida Today - Sept 9, 2008
Update posted on Sep 11, 2008 - 12:24AM 
A hearing in the case of a dog that starved to death after being left behind by its owner was continued on Monday while the defense awaits a decision on an appellate motion to remove the judge from the case.

Attorney Andrew Stine said he filed the emergency motion with the 5th District Court of Appeal Monday morning on behalf of Christine Abrams, 30, who was charged with two misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty in connection with the starvation death of her German shepherd, Ella.

Judge Kelly McKibben on Thursday signed an order refusing to remove herself from the case. Stine had asked McKibben to step down during a hearing last month, claiming that the judge communicated with a prosecutor about improperly filed paperwork without his knowledge.

The next hearing is set for Sept. 11, Local 6 News partner Florida Today reported.
Source: Local 6 News - July 28, 2008
Update posted on Jul 28, 2008 - 10:14AM 
A woman accused of leaving her dog in a crate to die was in court Tuesday afternoon. Christine Abrams is charged with two misdemeanor animal cruelty. About 20 protesters rallied outside the Brevard County courthouse. They lobbied for Abrams to get the maximum punishment of one year in jail.

She is accused of moving and leaving her German shepherd dog, Ella, to starve to death.

Abram's attorney is trying to get all the evidence thrown out before the case goes to trial.

He claims that when police discovered the dead dog, they violated Abrams' Fourth Amendment rights because they were searching without a warrant.
Source: WESH - July 9, 2008
Update posted on Jul 9, 2008 - 4:03PM 
The Brevard County woman accused of leaving her dog to die after moving away from her Cocoa Home is due back in court this afternoon. An evidence hearing is continuing in the case against Christine Abrams. She is facing misdemeanor animal cruelty charges.

Her case has drawn protests from animal lovers and activists. Another demonstration is planned outside the Viera courthouse at 11:30 this morning.
Source: CFnews - July 9, 2008
Update posted on Jul 9, 2008 - 10:10AM 
Friday�s hearing in the Christine Abrams fatal dog abandonment case has been canceled, court officials said. A new court date was not immediately available.

Abrams, 30, is accused of moving out of her Cocoa home and leaving behind her young German shepherd dog, Ella, to slowly starve to death.

Charged with two misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty, Abrams faces up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine if convicted.

A trial date has not been set.

Her attorney argued in court last week that evidence seized from Abrams� home should be tossed out because police searched the home without a warrant � a violation of Abrams� Fourth Amendment rights.

The nearly six-hour hearing was to be continued this week at the Moore Justice Center in Viera.

The Independence Day holiday was chosen to accommodate the attorneys� schedules, but was canceled by Chief Judge Clayton Simmons due to budgetary reasons, he said.
Source: Florida Today - June 30, 2008
Update posted on Jun 30, 2008 - 12:36PM 
It will be another week before we find out if a judge will throw out evidence in an animal cruelty case. Investigators said Christine Abrams, 29, moved out of her home, but left her German Shepherd in a crate for two months with no food or water.

During Friday's hearing, animal rights groups demonstrated outside the courthouse, trying to get a judge to give Abrams a stern punishment for what happened to her dog.

A neighbor spotted the dog's body and called for help. However, the defense is trying to convince the judge that that Abrams' home was illegally searched because police didn't have a warrant.

The Humane Society hopes the judge throws out that argument.

Right now, the hearing is scheduled to resume Friday, July 4, in order to give the defense and prosecution time to argue over motions.
Source: CF News - June 28, 2008
Update posted on Jun 28, 2008 - 6:43PM 
Police originally charged Abrams with one count of felony cruelty, which is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, but prosecutors in the case reduced the charge to a first-degree misdemeanor -- which carries a penalty of only one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Chief Assistant State Attorney Wayne Holmes said the reduced charges take into account the unclear wording of laws set by the state legislature.

He encouraged residents to contact their state representatives and lobby for tougher laws that would make all animal cruelty a felony.
Source: National Enquirer - May 28, 2008
Update posted on May 28, 2008 - 11:42PM 

References

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