This is not fitting for KILLING an animal on the ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST! Blow up that county’s phones with phone calls…. Evidently the 1 Prosecutor asked the other to be nice!!
Stiff penalties may be imposed for violations of the Endangered Species Act. Criminal activities may be punished with fines up to $50,000 and/or one year imprisonment for crimes involving endangered species, and $25,000 and/or six months imprisonment for crimes involving threatened species. Misdemeanors or civil penalties are punishable by fines up to $25,000 for crimes involving endangered species and $12,000 for crimes involving threatened species. A maximum of $1,000 can be assessed for unintentional violations. Rewards of up to $2,500 are paid for information leading to convictions.
Guilty plea entered in wolf shooting
GRANT COUNTY, Ore. – Brennon D. Witty, 26, from Baker City entered a guilty plea today in Grant County Justice Court to the offense of taking a threatened/endangered species. Witty was hunting coyote when he shot and killed a radio-collared wolf on Oct. 6, 2015. He reported the shooting and cooperated with investigators throughout the process according to Harney County District Attorney Tim Colahan, who prosecuted the case.
Witty was originally charged with more serious offenses, but agreed to plead guilty to lesser charges. A charge of hunting with a centerfire rifle with no big game tag was dismissed as a result of the negotiated plea. His charges were also reduced from misdemeanors to violations.
Witty has to pay a fine of $1,000 and pay the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife $1,000 in restitution. He also had to surrender the firearm used in the incident, a Savage Arms .223 rifle with scope to the state of Oregon.
The incident occurred near Crane Prairie in Grant County. Colahan prosecuted the case at the request of Grant County District Attorney Jim Carpenter, who removed himself from the case to avoid any appearance of a conflict. Carpenter knows the Witty family.
Source: Guilty plea entered in wolf shooting | My Columbia Basin
Comments
This guy, Brennen Witty, got off too easy – this is disgusting. He should have been fined up to $25,000 instead of a measly $1,000 – Who does he know? The wolf had a collar on – NO way he mistook it for a coyote – he is a rotten liar and the District Attorney, Tim Calahan is 100% wrong in letting him get by with this deliberate act of killing an endangered wolf. It stinks to high heaven – it is wrong. The wolves deserve better from the state and the judge and this attorney who gave this wolf killer a pass! It also sends a message to others that they can kill wolves and get by with it
WE agree Wholeheartedly ! He should have lost his rights to hunt period, plus maximum penalties for his crime! We are wondering if the Prosecuting Attorney being a friend, asked the other to be nice!