Animals beaten at school model farm Newbern, TN (US) Incident Date: Sunday, Mar 2, 2003 County: Dyer Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Abuser names unreleased

Case ID: 1553 Classification: Beating Animal: sheep, goat View more cases in TN (US) Login to Watch this Case

Four boys accused in the March 2 death and injury of animals at the Dyer County High School model farm pleaded guilty Wednesday in Dyer County Juvenile Court.

The four juveniles, ages 12, 13, 14 and 15, each pleaded guilty to a charge of animal cruelty and a lesser included charge of criminal trespass (they each had been initially charged with aggravated trespass).

Each of the boys appeared in court Wednesday with an attorney and their parents.

The 13-year-old, who the other three claim actually beat the animals, also pleaded guilty to a charge of vandalism of property worth more than $500 and was held jointly and severally liable for the $3,191 in restitution the boys must pay. The four are responsible for paying one-fourth each of the restitution, but the 13-year-old must pay all of the restitution if the others do not pay it.

Assistant District Attorney General Lance Webb said the three were not being held jointly and severally liable for the restitution because, "They apparently had second thoughts and went to their parents and told them what had happened."

Three of the boys were each sentenced to perform 100 hours of community service, but the 13-year-old was sentenced to 200 community-service hours.

Each of the youths was sentenced to Juvenile Court probation and restrained permanently from contact with DCHS agriculture teacher Dan Smith and the high school's animal program.

Juvenile probations require reporting once a month to a county youth-services officer to assure that the youths are behaving properly.

"The youth-services officers also may do home and school visits to check compliance with probation terms," said Tia Weeks, a Dyer County Youth Services officer. "The youth-services officer can release a child from probation when he or she believes they have demonstrated proper behavior, but the minimum term is six months."

Wednesday's pleas bring to an end the episode which resulted in the death of a goat and injury to a pregnant sheep. 

"We hope we don't have to see kids on probation in court again," said Eddie White, the county's chief youth-services officer. "But if they don't stay out of trouble the next step could be a sentence to a state juvenile facility."

During an April 10 hearing for two of the boys before the Dyer County School Board, Dent Yarbro of the county schools' Disciplinary Hearing Authority read summaries from the hearing authority and from a Newbern Police Department investigation. 

He said the 12-, 14- and 15-year-olds had driven animals to the 13-year-old, who beat them with plastic pipes and shovels. 

"A female goat was killed and a registered sheep ewe was injured severely enough that labor had to be induced," Yarbro said. "One lamb was stillborn, another died shortly after birth and a third is still alive but the mother is unable to care for it." 

He said the animals had been "physically and sexually abused."

Yarbro said the 12-year-old and the 14-year-old had first admitted they drove the animals to the 13-year-old, then denied it before admitting they had driven the animals.

He said the animals probably would not be able to conceive and would require constant veterinary care. 

After the school board hearing, the 12-year-old and the 14-year-old were permitted to attend the city-county alternative school. The other two boys also were permitted to attend the alternative school. 

Wednesday's appearance was before Juvenile referee Lyman Ingram, who suspended payment of court costs on one of the charges for each of the boys. The 13-year-old must pay $70 in court costs and the other three must pay $35 each. 

The 13- and 15-year-olds must also continue counseling until a mental health professional certifies they would no longer benefit from it. 

The 12- and 14-year-olds have received letters from mental health professionals certifying that they no longer are in need of counseling. 

"I'm only suspending one of the court costs for you," Ingram told the 13-year-old. "I have to be fair to all of you and the others got only one court cost suspended." 

Wednesday was the last day a plea agreement could be reached in the case before it was set for trial before Juvenile Judge Charles V. Moore Jr.

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