Snowmobile-assisted deer killing case suspended; ‘thrill-killing’ laws coming
Wisconsin NewsThe last of three defendants who’s still charged with felonies for allegedly killing deer with his snowmobile is having his case suspended for now.
The last of three defendants who’s still charged with felonies for allegedly killing deer with his snowmobile is having his case suspended for now.
Waupaca County Circuit Judge Raymond Huber says he’s putting the case against Nicholas Hermes on hold until a state appeals court decides what to do with the other two cases.
Two other circuit judges recently dropped felony animal treatment charges against Robby and Rori Kuenzi.
That’s because their lawyers claimed the two were hunting when they ran down a half-dozen deer on a snowmobile trail in January.
The state Justice Department recently said it would appeal the felony dismissals.
All three defendants are from Weyauwega. They still face citations for hunting out-of-season.
Judge Huber said he would review the status of Hermes’ case in late December.
The case resulted in at least three state legislators proposing bills to include wild animals under the state’s cruelty laws.
Wisconsinites would have to call the police if they hit a wild animal with an off-road vehicle.
That’s part of a new bill aimed at stopping thrill killings.
Rep. Andy Jorgensen, R-Fort Atkinson, proposed the measure a few weeks ago, and he held a news conference Wednesday to highlight more of the details.
He said his bill was in response to the killings of 62 ducks on the Rock River in Fort Atkinson in late January.
That happened after snowmobilers killed 57 ducks near Fond du Lac on Jan. 13, four days after the Waupaca County deer-killing incident.
Jorgenson said accidents happen, but it’s disingenuous for someone to claim they had an accident without notifying police or the Department of Natural Resosurces.
His bill would give the same penalties to thrill killings as those for animal cruelty.
Jorgenson said his bill would also let judges order mental health care for those convicted. He said it would help those who are “truly sick.”
Tags: deer killing, thrill killing, wisconsin, waupaca, snowmobiles, laws
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