Baby geese intentionally run over with truck
Decatur, IL (US)Incident Date: Thursday, May 5, 2005
County: Macon
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Robert W. Penwell
A 64-year-old Decatur man was found guilty on July 22 of a conservation charge in connection with an incident in which he was alleged to have run over baby geese with his pickup truck.
Robert W. Penwell was found guilty of illegal taking of wildlife by a vehicle, a Class B misdemeanor, in a stipulated bench trial before Associate Judge James Coryell. In a stipulated bench trial, both sides agree what the evidence will be.
In an agreement with prosecutors, Penwell was sentenced to one year of court supervision and fined $2,000.
During the investigation, authorities seized Penwell's 2005 Chevrolet pickup truck. Penwell got his truck back by agreeing to make an $8,000 donation to the Illinois Conservation Fund that will be dedicated to the Illinois Conservation Police Academy.
He also agreed to pay $1,000 in storage fees for the truck to the Macon County Highway Department, as well as $55 in towing fees.
The incident occurred May 5 in the driveway of Penwell's home in the 3200 block of South Baltimore Avenue. State's Attorney Jack Ahola said the evidence would have shown that a neighbor reported seeing Penwell run over two Canada goslings, which are a protected waterfowl. The neighbor picked up one of the dead goslings and turned it over to a conservation officer, Ahola said.
Penwell did not admit guilt as part of the trial and declined to comment on the case. His attorney, Christopher Ellis, said only that Penwell was looking forward to putting the incident behind him. If Penwell successfully completes court supervision, the conviction would not appear on his record.
In court documents, Penwell denied running over the geese. Penwell said the neighbor who initially reported him to conservation police on May 6 was upset over Penwell's plans to develop the land he owns on South Baltimore Avenue.
The neighbor denied that. According to court documents, another neighbor also made a similar complaint about Penwell running over geese. References |
