California County Settles Lawsuit for $300,000 For Killing Girl’s Goat – Law Blog

The Shasta County Sheriff’s Workplace agreed to pay $300,000 after it seized a then 9 year-old woman’s pet purpose and not using a warrant. The goat was then bought at an public sale and killed. Jessica Lengthy, the woman’s mom, sued the Sheriff’s Workplace and the Shasta District Honest, which auctioned the goat.  

Ms. Lengthy bought the goat for her daughter, who named the goat Cedar. The Lengthy household had initially deliberate to boost the goat for the Shasta District Honest Public sale, however the woman turned connected to Cedar and refused to promote him.  

Nevertheless, the Honest nonetheless needed the goat for public sale and the Lengthy Household provided to pay the cash owed, which was $902 with the Honest owed $63 as a part of the sale. The Honest allegedly refused to withdraw the sale although, and as an alternative threatened to press felony theft prices. Ultimately, two Shasta County sheriff’s deputies drove to the farm, although and not using a warrant, and seized the goat. 

Cedar was ultimately bought and slaughtered however the location of his stays are unknown.  

The court docket decided that the honest’s personal bylaws established the Longs nonetheless had possession, and that the Sheriff’s Workplace didn’t receive a warrant for the search in Sonoma County. Nevertheless, the county and the sheriff’s workplace are actually settling moderately than persevering with with the trial, agreeing to pay the Longs $300,000. The lawsuit towards the Shasta District Honest stays pending.  

A Damaged Contract Is Not Theft  

The Honest’s alleged risk to press felony prices was utterly inaccurate. Solely a felony prosecutor can press felony prices. If a prosecutor had regarded into this, they might have identified {that a} damaged contract shouldn’t be a criminal offense. Cedar the goat was owned by the Lengthy Household and so they had each proper to promote, or not promote, their animal. Whereas the Honest might argue that that they had a legitimate contract for the sale of Cedar, the recession of a contract shouldn’t be theft. The right answer for the Honest was to file civil lawsuit, not name regulation enforcement.  

The Necessity of Due Course of 

A search warrant is an order signed by a decide that allows regulation enforcement like Sheriffs to go looking a particular place for proof for a felony investigation. A search warrant can embrace a suspect’s house or administrative center. To acquire a search warrant, police should persuade a decide that they’ve possible trigger to conduct such a search.  

If the sheriffs had tried to acquire a warrant, they might have found that an allegedly damaged gross sales contract shouldn’t be possible trigger to go looking a property. Even when the Longs had been within the unsuitable to again out of an settlement, the sheriffs had no grounds to intervene and not using a court docket order. The sheriffs not solely broke a bit of woman’s coronary heart, additionally they usurped the powers of the court docket by taking part in decide, jury, and finally executioner. 

Ought to I Seek the advice of an Legal professional If My Property Is Being Seized by the Authorities? 

It’s important to have the help of a felony protection legal professional for any points, questions, or issues you will have associated to civil forfeiture. Your legal professional can overview your case, advise you of the civil forfeiture legal guidelines of your state, and signify you in court docket.