Attorneys/Judges
| Prosecutor(s): | Glen Hickerson | | Defense(s): | Creekmore Wallace | | Judge(s): | Richard Woolery, April White, Douglas Golden |
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Dog dragged behind vehicle - soldier charged
Sapulpa, OK (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Oct 16, 2008
County: Creek
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 2 files available
Defendants/Suspects:
» Cody Wayne Hahn
» Rikki Leigh Seritt
Case Updates: 6 update(s) available
A Sapulpa man was released from the Creek County jail Tuesday after making bail on felony charges alleging that he dragged a dog behind his vehicle.
The Sheriff's Office identified him as Cody Wayne Hahn, 20, who is charged with cruelty to an animal, transporting an animal in a cruel/inhumane fashion and abandonment of a domestic animal - all felonies.
The case against Hahn stem from Oct. 16 when the Sheriff's Office was notified that someone driving a black SUV was dragging a dog behind the vehicle.
Deputies said witnesses tried to chase the vehicle to stop the abuse, but were unable to keep up with the SUV, which was traveling along S. 161st W. Avenue.
At first, witnesses said, the small brown dog of undetermined breed tried to keep up with the SUV, but then fell listless and was dragged along until the animal came free of its collar.
Investigating deputies said there were blood trails along the road from where the animal was dragged, and they described the dog's injuries as grotesquely severe.
However, Sheriff's Capt. Mike O'Keefe said a local veterinarian volunteered his services and saved the dog's life.
"The dog has been adopted, and is in a good home," O'Keefe said.
O'Keefe said the black SUV was spotted the day after the incident, and officers questioned Hahn, who denied any involvement.
But Hahn's photo was subjected to a lineup, and witnesses picked him out as the person they saw driving the SUV, authorities said.
O'Keefe said Hahn was at home on leave from the Army at the time of the incident.
By the time the warrants for his arrest were issued, Hahn had returned to service, O'Keefe said.
Local authorities notified the military of the warrants against Hahn and he was placed into custody in Korea, where he was stationed.
O'Keefe said Hahn was flown into Dallas and then returned to Sapulpa on Tuesday.
Case UpdatesA man accused of dragging a dog behind his SUV will serve a year in jail after pleading guilty Thursday to one count of cruelty to animals, court records indicate.
District Judge Douglas Golden sentenced Cody Hahn, 22, of Sapulpa to one year in the Creek County jail and the remainder of the five-year sentence to be suspended.
Hahn was also fined $500 and ordered to pay $100 in victim compensation and $3,320 in restitution. He must also pay $1,913 in court costs.
Two related charges -- transporting an animal in a cruel or inhuman fashion and abandonment of a domestic animal on a road -- were dismissed.
Hahn was arrested in October 2008 after allegedly dragging a mixed-breed dog behind a black sport utility vehicle for about a half-mile until the dog came free of its collar and leash.
The badly injured dog was nursed back to health and has since been adopted.
Witnesses identified Hahn as the SUV's driver. | Source: tulsaworld.com - Jan 26, 2012
Update posted on Jan 26, 2012 - 8:36PM |
The lead suspect in a notorious 2008 dog-dragging case in Sapulpa will serve 30 days in the Creek County Jail after pleading guilty to a 2010 criminal misdemeanor charge of eluding an officer.
Cody Wayne Hahn, 22, also received a one-year deferred jail sentence after pleading guilty last week to the Dec. 26, 2010, charge.
In an affidavit, Sapulpa Police Officer Terry Wiggs said he spotted two cars traveling that night at a high rate of speed on Hickory Street, then Lone Star Road and onto 146th Street, where he caught up with both drivers after giving chase.
The other driver, Cassandra Nicole Martin, 19, was also cited for eluding an officer.
Martin pleaded guilty last week and was given a one-year deferred term on that charge, plus a one-year deferred term after pleading guilty to a 2008 charge of obstructing an officer.
The obstructing charge resulted from her giving a false statement to police regarding the dog-dragging case against Hahn, authorities said.
In pleading guilty to the eluding charge, Hahn entered into an arrangement whereby he would serve the 30 days in jail from April 18 to May 17, according to Glen Hickerson, assistant prosecutor for Creek County.
Meanwhile, Hickerson said Hahn is expected face trial soon on the felony charge of cruelty to an animal.
Hahn is charged with dragging a dog behind his vehicle on Oct. 26, 2008, according to court records.
The mixed-breed dog, although badly injured, was nurtured back to health and was adopted.
Also charged with cruelty to an animal was Rikki Leigh Seritt, 20. | Source: tulsaworld.com - Mar 7, 2011
Update posted on Mar 7, 2011 - 3:21PM |
The attorney for a Sapulpa man accused of dragging a dog behind a vehicle last year lost another bid Thursday to have the charge dismissed against his client.
Sapulpa attorney Creekmore Wallace, who is representing Cody Wayne Hahn, argued to Creek County Associate District Judge April Sellers White that Oklahoma's law on cruelty to animals doesn't extend to strays.
Hahn, 20, is facing a felony charge of cruelty to animals in connection with the dragging of a dog behind a sports utility vehicle on Oct. 16.
Authorities said the incident occurred near the 6300 block of South 161st West Avenue.
They said the dog was dragged for about a half-mile, at which point it came free of its collar.
The brown, mixed-breed dog, which was severely injured, has recovered and has been adopted.
In his arguments before White, Wallace argued that because the dog was apparently a stray, it lacked protection under Oklahoma's law on animal abuse.
He likened the abuse of a stray animal to someone who might kill an insect or a fish, and he quoted case law to support his position.
After a few hours of reviewing his arguments, along with counter arguments by Assistant District Attorney Glen Hickerson, the judge offered her ruling, which came with a surprising twist.
Reading from the state's law, White said it covered any animal in "subjugation" or "captivity." The judge said she went to the dictionary to define those terms, and found that they were literally defined as having a yoke on an animal; to control an animal to the point of making it submissive.
She ruled that since the dog was tied to the back bumper of a vehicle, it was under control before it was dragged and mistreated.
White's ruling surprised Wallace, who afterward noted her argument was unique.
But it didn't surprise Diane Wise of Tulsa, one of many animal supporters at Thursday's hearing. "My brain was screaming that," Wise said of the judge's decision that the dog was under control once it was tied to the bumper.
"The dog was subdued and subjugated," Wise said. "The dog had no choice."
Ruth Steinberger, state outreach coordinator for the Oklahoma Alliance for Animals, said she was surprised by the direction of the judge's argument.
Still, Steinberger said she was "absolutely thrilled" that the judge didn't rule in Wallace's favor.
"The judge recognized the strong law we have in Oklahoma against animal cruelty," Steinberger said.
Wallace had made the same argument against the Oklahoma law once before â€" during a March preliminary hearing for Hahn in which Special Judge Richard Woolery rejected Wallace's argument and ordered Hahn to stand trial.
Authorities had hoped for an October trial date, but that now has been moved to possibly April. Hickerson said he wants to try Rikki Leigh Seritt, 19, of Sapulpa, as Hahn's co-defendant in the same trial.
Seritt, who authorities said was with Hahn when the dog dragging took place, has also been charged with cruelty to animals. | Source: tulsaworld.com - Aug 13, 2009
Update posted on Mar 7, 2011 - 3:17PM |
A Sapulpa woman faces a court hearing next month on a charge of cruelty to animals in connection with the dragging of a dog behind a vehicle last October.
Authorities identified her as Rikki Leigh Seritt, 18, who, in addition to the felony charge, faces two misdemeanor counts of obstructing an officer.
The Creek County Sheriff's Office said she has been released from jail after posting $7,000 bond.
Her initial court appearance has been set for July 7.
Seritt has been charged in the same Oct. 16 dog-dragging incident in which Cody Wayne Hahn, 20, of Sapulpa has been charged.
In March, Hahn was ordered to stand trial on a cruelty-to-animal charge after a preliminary hearing was held. He is due for a formal arraignment on July 20.
The brown, mixed-breed dog, which was severely injured in the dragging, has recovered from his injuries and has since been adopted.
Hahn, an Army Ranger who was home on leave at the time of the incident, has denied that he dragged a dog behind an SUV.
However, a witness at his preliminary hearing identified him as the driver of the sports utility vehicle involved in the case. The dog dragging occurred on South 161st West Avenue.
The witness said he saw the dog tied to the bumper and a young woman, standing behind the SUV, was motioning to the dog.
Authorities said the dog was dragged along the road until the animal came free of his collar.
Sheriff Steve Toliver said Seritt had been a suspect in the case from the start.
He said two detectives interviewed her and she lied to them, hence the charges of obstructing an officer against her.
Toliver said the case was then turned over to the District Attorney's Office and its investigator, who made the case against Seritt last week.
An affidavit filed in Creek County District Court shows that the dog dragging began in front of Seritt's home in the 6300 block of S. 161st W. Ave. The dog was dragged for half a mile north of there.
The affidavit noted that Seritt was first questioned the day after the dog-dragging, but denied any knowledge of the incident. She was questioned again on Nov. 19, again denying any involvement.
At that time, however, she told sheriff's detectives she was at work at a Mexican restaurant in Tulsa the day of the dog dragging.
The affidavit said detectives questioned the restaurant's assistant manager, who backed up Seritt's story.
In April, though, the assistant manager was questioned again and told deputies she falsified her earlier statement that Seritt was working there on Oct. 16, the affidavit said.
Last month, the affidavit continued, Seritt was questioned by the district attorney's investigator and admitted lying about being at work that day.
She then said she was with a friend, but that alibi fell apart when the friend was questioned, the affidavit said.
The break in the case, according to the affidavit, came last month when Seritt's mother was questioned.
The woman said he and her husband were home on the afternoon of Oct. 16, and were joined there by her daughter and Hahn.
The mother remembered making a comment about a stray dog that had become an annoyance.
She quoted Hahn as saying, "Do you want me to get rid of that dog?" the affidavit said.
The woman said she said "yes," but had no idea what Hahn had in mind, according to the affidavit.
A few days later, after Seritt's mother and father returned home from a trip to Arkansas, the mother said Hahn told her he "got rid of that dog."
Assistant District Attorney Glen Hickerson said he has filed court papers to have Seritt and Hahn tried together as co-defendants. | Source: tulsaworld.com - Jun 23, 2009
Update posted on Mar 7, 2011 - 3:12PM |
A Sapulpa soldier at the heart of an animal-abuse case steadfastly denied ever dragging a dog behind a vehicle, and told the Tulsa World he was looking forward to proving his innocence.
Cody Wayne Hahn, 20, appeared Wednesday before Creek County Special District Judge Richard Woolery, who set a March 11 preliminary hearing for Hahn, charged with cruelty to animals.
The case against him stems from an Oct. 16 incident in which several witnesses told sheriff's deputies they saw a dog being dragged by a sports utility vehicle along 161st Street.
Deputies found the vehicle the next day and questioned Hahn, who denied any knowledge of the incident, authorities said.
However, the Sheriff's Office said those witnesses picked Hahn from a photo lineup as the SUV's driver.
Hahn was on leave from the Army at the time of the incident. He was stationed in Korea, and returned there before the charges were filed against him.
Local authorities, though, notified the Army about his arrest warrants, and Hahn was put under military arrest in Korea and returned to Sapulpa on Dec. 23 to be booked into jail. He was released on $6,000 bond a short while later.
Though badly injured, the dog, which now goes by the name of Sammy, is making a full recovery and has been adopted.
Hahn appeared in court Wednesday flanked by his parents, a brother and other friends. Outside the courtroom, before his hearing began, he cheerfully hugged other friends and spoke to them, even while a dozen or so animal
supporters who have been following the case kept glancing at him.
After the hearing ended, Hahn was involved in a heated argument with several animal supporters, and the exchange became so fiery that a sheriff's deputies asked them to leave the courthouse.
One of those who argued with him was Diane Wise of Tulsa, with the Pet Adoption League. Wise said she asked Hahn "if he was high" on drugs at the time of the incident, and that's when an argument ensued.
Hahn denied ever using drugs and also professed his innocence, she said.
Another animal supporter claimed Hahn insulted her by hurling an obscenity at her, but he denied making such an insult.
Hahn told the Tulsa World he has received quite a bit of hate mail at his home, workplace, and also through e-mails.
Some of the mail has been threatening, he said.
However, Hahn, who said he's served in Iraq and Afghanistan, told the Tulsa World, "I've come a long way in my life to let something like this get me down."
He repeatedly said he is innocent, despite having been picked out of a photo lineup by witnesses.
At least four witnesses are scheduled to testify at his preliminary hearing next month, according to Assistant District Attorney Glen Hickerson.
The case against Hahn has animal-rights activists livid across the nation.
Particularly enraging to them has been Hahn's jail-booking photo, which shows him smiling from ear to ear.
For his part, Hahn said he always smiles.
"I smile in all my pictures, even my Army ID," he said.
"I'm just a happy person," noting that he smiled in his booking photo because that's his nature, but, more importantly, "because I knew I hadn't done anything wrong. I'm innocent, and I know it." | Source: Tulsa World - Feb 4, 2009
Update posted on Feb 4, 2009 - 11:48PM |
The attorney for an Army soldier enters a not-guilty plea to three felony counts of animal abuse alleging he dragged a dog behind his sport utility vehicle.
More than a dozen animal-rights supporters attended Cody Wayne Hahn's initial court hearing yesterday in Creek County District Court.
Several witnesses reported seeing a black SUV dragging a dog behind it on Oct. 16. The dog suffered gruesome injuries but was saved by veterinarians at the Bristow Veterinary Hospital.
The Creek County Sheriff's Office found the SUV the next day and questioned Hahn, who denied any knowledge of the incident. Witnesses picked the 20-year-old from a photo lineup.
Hahn was on leave from the Army at the time of the incident, and returned to his station in Korea. Local authorities notified the Army about his arrest warrants, and Hahn was put under military arrest and returned to Sapulpa Dec. 23. He was released from jail on $6,000 bond.
Hahn's lawyer, Creekmore Wallace, questioned the witnesses' identification of his client. | Source: KTEN - Jan 8, 2009
Update posted on Jan 8, 2009 - 1:22PM |
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