Understanding the New Federal Animal Cruelty Law

A new neb signed into constabulary by President Trump last month makes cruelty to animals a federal offense. The Preventing Creature Cruelty and Torture Act was a bipartisan attempt that criminalized brute cruelty at the federal level.

So what does this mean for defendants facing animal cruelty allegations from this signal frontward?

The short answer is big fines and federal prison time. Here's how (and why) creature cruelty causeless federal importance.

The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act

The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Human action was proposed to target "creature crush videos," in which abusers kill, mutilate and torture pocket-sized animals, and share them over the internet. These videos have ofttimes been institute to have a sexual overtone, featuring provocatively dressed models in high heels.

Closing the Animal Crush Loophole

A 2010 law initially made the creation and distribution of animal crush videos illegal, but not the underlying acts of animate being cruelty. The PACT Act closes this legal loophole, making the acts of animal cruelty federal offenses, too.

Under the PACT Act, it is now a federal crime to intentionally:

  • Crush, drown, burn, or suffocate any non-human mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian
  • Subject animals to any other type of serious bodily harm

Support from Both Sides of the Aisle

This bipartisan effort was sponsored past Ted Deutch (D – Southeast Florida) and Vern Buchanan (R – Southwest Florida) and approved unanimously by the House and Senate.

Even President Trump expressed his support of the bill in a statement, "With today'south Act, we take a critical step toward being more responsible and humane stewards of our plant and all who we want to accuse and accept care of, and all of those who live on it."

Endorsement beyond the Land

According to the President and CEO of the U.S. Humane Society, the passing of "PACT makes a statement nearly American values. Animals are deserving of protection at the highest level."

The Act was also endorsed by law enforcement groups such as the National Sheriffs' Association and the Fraternal Gild of Police, who maintain that extreme animal cruelty and violent crimes against people are frequently linked.

Why Legislators Felt the Federal PACT Act Was Necessary

Every state in the US has laws that criminalize animal cruelty, and these cases are routinely prosecuted in state courts. However, because fauna cruelty was previously non a federal criminal offence, violations that spanned multiple states or jurisdictions were frequently difficult to prosecute.

For example, dog-fighting rings often exchange dogs across country lines, and "animal crush" videos are distributed over the internet. In either of these kinds of cases, it was previously necessary for multiple jurisdictions toget involved in order to successfully prosecute.

That allowed some animal abusers to sideslip through the cracks. Making animal cruelty a federal offense simplifies prosecution decisions leading to a more efficient use of the law.

Consequences for Federal Felony Animal Cruelty Today

Upon federal conviction of felony-level animal cruelty today, an offender can expect life-changing consequences. Here are a few:

  • The PACT Human action makes animal cruelty a federal felony, which is punishable by upwards to seven years in federal prison and often-staggering fines.
  • Federal prosecutors are as well more probable to seek the maximum possible sentence than local jurisdictions on these matters.
  • Considering the Act targets large-scale animal cruelty such as animal crush videos, many offenders are probable to face more one count of felony animate being cruelty.
  • Federal inmates are ineligible for parole and must serve the entire duration of their sentence behind confined.

Houston Animal Abuse Defense Attorney

The PACT Act non only targets barbaric Acts of creature cruelty that should never be tolerated, simply also expands existing federal law by giving federal courts further-reaching jurisdictions.

Facing federal animal cruelty charges isn't something anyone should exercise alone. With such widespread support for the PACT Act and its laudable objectives, there will inevitably be misapplications of the law necessitating insight and assistance from an experienced Texas federal criminal defense chaser in society to develop a sound defense.