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'via Blog this'UPDATE 06/29/10: On May 3, Matthew J. Havern pleaded guilty to charges of dog attack causing serious injury, failing to register a dangerous dog, failure to maintain liability insurance for a dangerous dog, and failure to obtain a rabies shot and a license for his dog. In exchange for his plea, the Erie County District Attorney's Office dropped the critical and more seriouscharges of reckless endangerment, tampering with evidence and a misdemeanor dog attack count.
The plea agreement charges carried a maximum possible sentence of up to seven years in prison and a $50,600 fine.On June 28, Judge Shad Connelly sentenced Havern to serve one to 12 months in prison for failing to control his dog. He was also ordered to serve two years of probation, pay court costs, $550 in fines and perform 100 hours of community service. Despite Havern's deceit and horribly reckless conduct, which resulted in two children left facially disfigured, missing permanent teeth and irreversible eye damage, the sentence was in the "standard range" of sentencing guidelines.
- Erie County District Attorney Jack Daneri is up for re-election in 2011. One has to wonder how high up the chain-of-command the plea bargain was reviewed and approved? And, was the victim or victim's family consulted before the plea agreement was offered or accepted by his office?
- Erie County Judge Shad Connelly is up for re-election in 2015. The article states that Daneri asked for a sentence in the "aggravated range." So why did Judge Connelly only sentence Havern in the "standard range?" Would it have taken a third child attacked by Havern's dog to qualify?
10/04/09: Two Children Severely Injured
Millcreek, PA - On September 16, 2009, 3-year old Alorah Havern was viciously attacked by a pit bull-mix while being babysat at her grandmother's home. The grandmother, Debbie Havern1, often watched the child at Alorah's home. But on that day, she brought the child to her own home in Millcreek to do some laundry. Also living at the home was her 25-year old son Matthew Havern and his 7-year old dog. The results of this combination proved disastrous.
Alorah, who continues to be treated at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, will be permanently scarred by the attack doctors have told her family and may be blind in one eye as well. The nerve damage, according to doctors, is also likely permanent. Alorah's mother, Julie Havern2, said her daughter suffered a fractured skull and required more than 300 stitches to close her wounds. She also lost many teeth and had many bones in her face shattered.
In November 2006, this same dog attacked the 4-year old daughter of Matthew's girlfriend. Her injuries included: partial loss of sight in one eye, a broken jaw and the loss of many teeth.We wish we were writing to you from the Twilight Zone, but we are not. The girlfriend3 from the first attack is apparently still in a relationship with Matthew. According to the article, she has talked to him "repeatedly" about the need to euthanize his dog, named Graham. She said Matthew has not brought the dog within sight of her or her daughter since the 2006 incident. Yet Graham has since attacked a different child in the family causing devastating injury again.
Q: Why wasn't Graham euthanized after the first attack?
A: Pennsylvania State law.
Like many states, after a dog inflicts "severe injury," Pennsylvania declared the dog "dangerous" and required its owner to abide by new rules, such as keeping the dog in a secure enclosure; attaining liability insurance; and posting warning signs. Unwilling to adhere to the requirements, Matthew lied. In a written statement, he told the dog warden he "gave" the dog to a person in New York State. Not long after, Matthew and his dog moved into his mother's Millcreek home.
Q: How easy was it for Matthew to lie to Pennsylvania officials?
A: Provide a false written statement.
There is no way to force a person to be a responsible dog owner. The type people who own pit bulls have no respect for the law, have no reservations about lying, and therefore, laws, court orders, etc. have no effect whatsoever. They also have no homeowners' insurance or assets to pay for the damages done by their hairy demons. The only way to prevent the damages done by pit bulls is to ban these 4-legged sharks. Although the pit nutters claim breed bans do not work, the pit bull ban in Miami-Dade, Florida, has worked since 1989. And after years of whining by pit nutters, it was taken to the people for a vote last August and a two-thirds majority voted in favor of the ban.
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