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By Jackie Valley (contact) 
Published Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 | 3 p.m.
Updated Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 | 5:07 p.m.
Two 11-year-old boys each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit animal cruelty in the death of a mother cat two months ago.
The boys appeared Tuesday before Clark County Family Court Judge William Voy.
The case dates to Oct. 9 when witnesses were alerted to what sounded like glass shattering around the 9600 block of Russell Road. Initially, according to Metro Police, witnesses thought the two juveniles were throwing rocks at an apartment building.
However, the youngsters had been throwing rocks at a mother cat giving birth, the witnesses told police. The cat’s six kittens ultimately died.
Michael Watson, a prosecutor in the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, said autopsies were not performed on the kittens, so it was unclear whether the mother cat had even given birth to the kittens yet.
In court, the boys admitted to throwing several rocks at an adult cat. They said they left when it appeared the cat became angry.
A psychological evaluation of the boys did not show any signs of underlying psychological issues, Voy said.
Voy sentenced each of the boys to 12 months of probation, a 30-day suspended sentence in the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center and 80 hours of community service. In addition, the boys were ordered to attend school, have no further association with each other and write an essay for the court about how to properly treat animals.
Jeannie Hua, a defense attorney for one of the boys, said her client has been traumatized since this incident and has realized he made a “terrible mistake.”
“My client is far more than what he is here for today,” Hua told Voy. “He is a good kid.”
The boys sat next to each other in Voy’s courtroom as their defense attorneys stood nearby. They spoke quietly when addressing the judge, occasionally breaking down in tears.
Animal advocates — including Stacia Newman, president of Nevada Political Action for Animals — consistently have showed up for the boys’ court hearings.
“The compassion starts at home,” Newman said outside the courtroom. “Parents really need to know what’s going on with their children.”
"A psychological evaluation of the boys, presented in court, did not show any signs of underlying psychological issues." - from the story
Methinks we need better doctors on the panel.
As part of their sentence they are ordered to attend school? Aren't 11 year old kids already in school? Why didn't the judge just make them eat their vegetables while he's at it. Where are the parents?
How was their not enough evidence the rocks being thrown at the kittens was enough to kill them? If I throw a rock at a babies head repeatedly you'll be sure damage is caused.
I say stone the kids and show them how it feels.
Animal cruelty is right there on the bottom rung of civilized behavior. If there were no signs of psychological issues then what exactly was their reasoning for doing this? This goes way beyond "we were bored". Hopefully there are not pets in their homes.
make them do services at animal shelters.
I don't disagree with their punishment but only wish that these high attorneys were more devoted on sentencing actual bad guys who they have complete evidence of criminal acts, look how fast these little boys were handed their punishment. Kids do stupid stuff, including throwing rocks play fighting the list goes on, i highly doubt their intentions where to kill some cats, in which I truly love animals. Might as well change the adult age to 11 bc it obvi doesnt matter what age you are anymore.
I own cats and if this had been one of mine cats giving birth to kittens and I found about it....I would have thrown rocks at the kids to see how they felt....just kidding....my cats give birth inside my place of were I live and we take care of them....unlike this 2 boys....
This sickens me for what these cowards had done to these animals....
I cant understand the judge on why have them cowards write an essay about how to properly treat animals.
The problem is THEY DONT KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY TREAT ANIMALS, THEY THREW ROCKS AT THE MOTHER CAT AND KILLED HER AND ALL THE NEWBORNS.
I wish I was the judge to sentence them, they need a real sentence.
I would order to have those cowards get rocks thrown at them by the first and second string UNLV quarterbacks, or whoever is in town that can throw the hardest....Where's Ben Rapistberger when you really need em ?
For community service I would order those cowards at Siegfried and Roy's pad to feed their precious kittys with rocks while isolated in the pen (which I doubt those cowards would try to throw rocks at those kittys)....so those cowards would end up getting Montecore'd - Gangnam Style !
"He is a good kid."
Really?? Just not when he gets caught for stuff...? Sounds to me like these kids didn't get in trouble at all, and because they're minors this will be expunged from their record and as adults they wont be held accountable. There needs to be stricter penalties.
And to think it was suggested that the kittens may not have died from their pregnant mother being stoned. Ok, let me stone some women in labor and see how that goes over. These kids are the future. Think about that.
O.K. I think some of you commenting here needs to undergo a psychological evaluation. these are kids they are being punished quite harshly in my opinion.
Calling them cowards or suggesting that they should be stoned or actually thrown to the lions Really. These children are remoresful I still have hope that these two boys will become good citizens at adulthood. Im not ready to just throw them away like trash!.
"The compassion starts at home," Newman said outside the courtroom. "Parents really need to know what's going on with their children."
Hence one of the biggest problems in our society.
losers, plain and simple.
Most serial killers have a history of killing animals as children. These children should have continuing psychiatric treatment until they are at least eighteen years old.
Hey kids at your age we trapped and killed the stray cats of our neighborhood and always had litters of rabbits in our yard -- don't let the social hypocrites and their power trips discourage the best years of your life - they'll being honoring your human killings with medals soon enough.
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