JEFFERSON CO., Pa. (EYT) – Jefferson County District Attorney Jeff Burkett issued a statement on the sentencing of a Jefferson County teen who pled guilty to cruelty to animals recently.

On Wednesday, May 6, Alex Smith entered a negotiated plea of guilty to Cruelty to Animals, a second-degree misdemeanor under Pennsylvania law, as well as multiple Game Code violations stemming from a video he posted on social media of he and a juvenile co-defendant abusing an injured whitetail deer.

Smith received a sentence of two years probation and fines totaling $2,150. As part of the agreement, Smith’s hunting privileges have been revoked for a period of 15 years.

“There was certainly a huge outcry from certain segments of the public on this case,” Jefferson County District Attorney Jeff Burkett said in a statement released Monday afternoon.

“This was because it was captured on video and everyone could see the crimes being committed. Certainly, these videos were repulsive and no decent person could ever condone what was depicted in them.

“Notwithstanding the public outcry, we are bound by law, facts, and the sentencing guidelines. After numerous consultations with officers from the Pennsylvania Game Commission, county detectives, other law enforcement officers and the Western District United States Attorney’s Office, we were convinced that the misdemeanor Cruelty to Animals charge was the one that fit the facts of the case. The sentencing guidelines for that charge call for a probationary sentence. Also, we obtained an extensive revocation of Smith’s hunting privileges until well into his 30’s.”

“I want to thank the officers of the Pennsylvania Game Commission who worked very hard on this case and were an invaluable source of counsel and wisdom in bringing this matter to a successful resolution.”

Thanks for the update.

X2 He shouldn't be hunting period. Maybe he'll learn something in the next 15 years but I wouldn't count on it.
One down one to go.

[quote=elkaholic]There was certainly a huge outcry from certain segments of the public on this case,” Jefferson County District Attorney Jeff Burkett said in a statement released Monday afternoon.
“This was because it was captured on video and everyone could see the crimes being committed. Certainly, these videos were repulsive and no decent person could ever condone what was depicted in them./quote]


Maybe they should start videoing abortions.Not a good thing that happened here, but there is far worse things such as abortion and not a peep from the media.

^ No kidding. The human race can be disgusting.

What did the guy do?

Jail time needed here for him n his buddy.

Wounded a deer during deer season, then proceeded to film themselves kicking and beating the ever loving crap out of it all the while laughing and giggling about it.

The "kid" above, it was his dad that turned them in.

Anybody know what the Game law violations included? Plus, the game law violation that warranted a 15 year suspension of hunting privileges.

I was withholding judgment until I saw the video because revoking 15 years of hunting seemed severe.

Just from my perspective , some of my (hunting)friends joke about me not being a hunter but say I'm a killer.
I trap for fur , hunt geese but don't eat them , doves eat very few , ducks don't eat them , Turkeys I eat probably every other year , squirrels and rabbits will eat if someone cooks them , deer I get 2 to 3 a year and only need about 1 and a half.

That being said everything I kill gets eaten by someone and is taken as humanly as I can. I have more than enough people that want them, they don't go to waste and if I ran out of people that didn't want what I hunted I would stop hunting them .

So being a so called killer i have to say this was disturbing. The first thing that I thought was no heart absolutely no empathy.
The second thing that came to mind I can't post on here.

I don't know the law regarding this type of thing but in that agreement better have been some kind of mental therapy at the minimum.

Wouldn't bother me if they lost all hunting rights forever and they should not be around animals at all. People like this probably don't ever stop being the way they are.

As sickening as what they did, this is a bad outcome for sportsmen. It opens the door for the anti's and sets precedent.

Young dumb kids that will grow from this and learn a lesson.
If they would have put them in jail they would likely get worse
Not better from the outcome of being in there.

No penalty will turn them around they enjoyed what they did