Animal-cruelty charges dropped against Burlington County cop

[ccharles000]

If animals could talk, a few cows in Burlington County might ask state legislators to hurry up and outlaw bestiality.

During a bizarre hearing there yesterday, a Superior Court judge dismissed animal-cruelty charges against a Moorestown police officer accused of sticking his penis into the mouths of five calves in rural Southampton in 2006, claiming a grand jury couldn't infer whether the cows had been "tormented" or "puzzled" by the situation or even irritated that they'd been duped out of a meal.

"If the cow had the cognitive ability to form thought and speak, would it say, 'Where's the milk? I'm not getting any milk,' " Judge James J. Morley asked.

Children, Morley said, seemed "comforted" when given pacifiers, but there's no way to know what bovine minds thought of Robert Melia Jr. substituting his member for a cow's teat.

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20090924_Animal-cruelty_charges_dropped_against_Burlington_County_cop.html?referrer=facebook

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. Don't calves have teeth?

OK, this is a really good one.

He was busted for child porn in April of 2008, and SUSPENDED?

He's technically still on the force?

What, exactly, I wonder, does someone have to do to get fired by the Mooretown Police Department?

[uppityperson]

2. seems like a fair bit. Hopefully the publicity will slow this asshole down

[Thickasabrick]

23. He's also charge with assaulting young girls. That one should slow

him down.

[csziggy]

14. Most calves are born with no erupted teeth

Though the teeth are there under the skin.

I've had new born foals suckle on my fingers - lots of suction there but not really a bite even for the few that are born with some teeth coming through the gums. They are "programmed" to suckle, not bite.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

24. The cop knew this, I guess -

I mean, if they had teeth, you just don't go sticking your whammy into that mouth, do you?

Oh, the things people do............................................

[paulsby]

3. the law had the same problem in WA state not too long ago

there was no bestiality law and it was impossible to prove whether, for instance, fellating a dog was "cruel". in fact, there's ample evidence it's pleasurable for the animal.

so, we passed a bestiality law.

i also note that those who say "you can't legislate morality" ignore bestiality laws.

fellating a dog is not "cruel", but it's immoral, and that's why we criminalize it.

[PCIntern]

5. "ample evidence"...

Wow...there's all kinds of 'research' going on out there, isn't there?

[paulsby]

6. it was an interesting arrest

report i'll tell you that much.

my point is for a woman to fellate a dog it has to be erect in the first place.

all other factors aside, the erection and/or ejaculation are strong evidence the dog is enjoying it.

[Shell Beau]

17. Yuck. What are you saying exactly?

Whether or not a dog or any other animal enjoys it, it is gross and wrong. And an animal can't talk and tell you they enjoyed it. Wtf?

[paulsby]

19. what i am saying is quite obvious

we criminalize it because we think it is morally wrong. we do not criminalize it because of "lack of consent" as one poster opined. think about it. a pet doesn't consent to be kept hostage, taken from nature, taken to the vet, kept inside, etc. the issue of consent is nonsensical with animals. i can (legally) KILL my cat as long as i don't do it 'cruelly'. my cat would certainly not consent to that. heck, one of my cats has to be held against his will merely to BRUSH him (the other one loves it) but we criminalize having SEX with animals, even in the case wherre it is CLEAR the animal ENJOYS it because we find the act IMMORAL.

you can say the same thing about same sex incest. if two adult brothers want to have sex, they ARE both consenting and they aren't harming anybody else. yet, we criminalize it. why? because we think it's immoral.

both acts set our "ick factor" in overdrive. that's why we criminalize them.

which means that when people say "you can't legislate morality", they are mistaken.

[Shell Beau]

20. There is nothing right about it. Maybe it is a moral thing, but

I think it is a moral thing that most people will agree on. And those that don't, well I have nothing nice to say about those people.

[paulsby]

21. yes, that;'s my point

we don't even think about why. it's reflexive . it's IMMORAL in most people's eyes.

the same thing holds with same sex incest. two consenting adults are FELONS if they have sex. why? because they are related within the bounds of consanguinity. it's a PURELY moral decision we make there.

i have no problem with that. i have a problem with people who make claims that we don't, can't , or shouldn't legislate morality AND who ae ok with laws against bestiality or same sex incest, neither of which can be justified except on a moral basis.

[Chemisse]

10. It's disgusting but it should not be illegal

It's imposing one's moral standard upon another, much like the old sodomy laws did.

If it is observed, then public nudity and disturbing the peace could be used.

[FedUpWithIt All]

11. It is a consent rather than a moral issue IMO

An animal cannot give coherent consent.

[Chemisse]

12. Hahaha! I am really just trying to visualize this

And it's TOO funny.

Perhaps if the animal did not back away, it would be considered giving consent. Or if it did not take a big bite out of what was placed into its mouth!

[paulsby]

13. i disagree that;s the issue

animals can;t give consent to be pets, many will run away if you let them outside. doesn't mean we can't have pets. animals can't consent to be killed for food, but we can do it anyway, etc.

that;s a bogus issue that tries to ignore the moral component. the reason why we criminalize it is because we think it is immoral. some people of the 'we can't legislate morality' school will not admit it, but it's the reality.

fellating a dog causes the dog PLEASURE. we criminalize it because we think it's immoral though

[moriah]

25. Many victims of sexual assault feel physical pleasure.

It's one of the things that makes sexual assault extremely difficult to cope with emotionally -- feeling betrayed by your own body while it is being violated. Many rapists are aware of this and will deliberately attempt to cause the victim's body to respond to further humiliate the victim, making them feel even more powerless and less likely to report the assault. Your point doesn't hold water.

In many ways, the status of children and pets is similar under the law. Even though animal abusers are given much more lenient penalties than child abusers, the law protects a parent's dominance over their child even if the kid ran away from home or doesn't want the parents they have. However, the law also recognizes that a child cannot meaningfully give consent to sexual conduct. Neither can an animal. (I'm putting on my asbestos underwear now, I'll probably get it for comparing Junior with Fido.)

Lack of consent, to me, IS a moral issue.

[paulsby]

26. but you are ignoring the issue

CONSENT is not an issue (please try to find a court case where it is) when it comes to treatment of animals.

it may be an issue to YOU, but it has no basis in the law, and my point is specifically about the law, about WHY it is illegal.

it is ridiculous to claim that consent is the issue in animal sex, becase (1) dogs do consent to fellatio (in almost any sense of the word.) 2) consent is not the issue in ANY other sort of animal treatment or mistreatment

no person has EVER been prosecuted for doing something to an animal w/o it's consent and that goes from making chicken mcnuggets out of one, to brushing it, to taking it to the vet, to imprisoning it, etc.

we criminalize it because we think it is immoral EVEN if the animal "wants it", which distinguishes it from other sorts of animal mistreatment, which requires causing the animal undue pain (cruelty to animals)

[WillParkinson]

4. What a fun guy...

He and former girlfriend, Heather Lewis, of Pemberton Township, are also accused of sexually assaulting three young girls over a five-year period, sometimes in Melia's Cottage Avenue home in Moorestown, where he was a patrolman, authorities said.

[FedUpWithIt All]

9. Big surprise there.

:puke:

[ccharles000]

7. kick

[Craftsman]

8. At this rate a new topic will be added to EEO training next year for the dept.

Baaaaaaa means no.

[Kansas Wyatt]

15. Can be used as a torture device...

See the movie "Cowboy Way"

[Liberal_in_LA]

16. ewww. I thought this thread was going to be about some poor police dog left in a hot car

ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

[and-justice-for-all]

18. I can not call that cruelity, that is just plain ill...

those calves have the potential to suck the skin right off his penis.

[Thickasabrick]

22. OMG that is is so gross. Hopefully the assault charges on the

young girls will stick and he'll be locked up for a long time.