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Man That Starved 10 Horses Gets House Arrest, Ordered To Write Letter
August 29, 2011
The Walnut Hill man who starved 10 horses has been sentenced to probation and will be required to write a letter to his probation officer.
James Benjamin Bethea, 62, was found guilty on two felony and eight misdemeanor animal cruelty charges. He was sentenced to four years probation with the first year under house arrest, allowed to leave home only for medical, work or other reasons approved by his probation officer. He will be allowed to serve his house arrest and probation in Alabama.
Bethea will also be required to undergo a physiological evaluation and complete any recommended counseling. He will be required to pay $126.80 in restitution to Panhandle Equine Rescue and $800 to Lee Veterinary Clinic.
Judge John Parham also ordered Bethea to write a letter to his probation officer “detailing how this could have been prevented”, according to court records, and he is not allowed to care for or have any animals whatsoever and not allowed to have any animals at his residence.
Bethea had 20 horses on his property in the 5000 block of Highway 97A in Enon when Panhandle Equine Rescue arrived to investigate an abuse complaint on February 2. A neighbor told deputies she observed a horse lying in the pasture the previous morning that did not move all day.
For more photos from the scene, click here. WARNING: Some readers may find the photos disturbing.
One of the horses was so severely malnourished, according to PER President Diane Lowery, that it was euthanized in the pasture by a licensed veterinarian.
Another was in critical condition, unable to stand. The thin animal shivered in the February cold and sleet as rescuers worked to load it into a trailer for transport to a veterinarian for evaluation. Nearly a dozen volunteers were forced to push and pull the horse into a trailer as it lay nearly motionless on a tarp.
Another eight horses were seized by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and taken to a veterinarian for treatment.
“They won’t survive the night in this cold and sleet if we don’t get them out of here,” Lowery said as a small army of volunteers assembled with horse trailers to load the animals for transport.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene unit was called to the scene to photograph the horses and their surroundings, including empty food troughs and old bathtubs that were presumably the water source for the horses. The bathtubs were dry.
Many of the horses gathered around a fresh roll of hay that, according to Lowery, appeared to have been placed in the pasture sometime Wednesday. Other horses, bones clearly visible under their skin, stayed away. Another horse gently nudged volunteers, seeking attention and closely following those that would rub it on its face.
For more photos from the scene, click here. WARNING: Some readers may find the photos disturbing.
Pictured top: One of nine horses being seized last February in the Enon community. Pictured inset: This horse was in critical condition, unable to stand even with assistance. Pictured below: Another of the seized horses. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
33 Responses to “Man That Starved 10 Horses Gets House Arrest, Ordered To Write Letter”
These beautiful horses were in no way recieved justice!! The house arrest is a pure JOKE not to mention the tiny fines! As long as these are the punishments for people who abuse and neglect their animals there will be no end to it. People will continue to abuse and neglect their animals with no fear from the law and probably move on to children. I am pure disgusted with our court systems and the judge in this case.
Seven of the eight horses were rehomed, but one was kept by P.E.R. because she was in such bad condition. Now she has been rehabilitated and is up for adoption. She is on the adoption page on their website.
See the story athttp://panhandleequinerescue.org/news6.html” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”> http://panhandleequinerescue.org/news6.html
Have any of the resued horses made any kind of recovery since then, and have any been rehomed
Good job for all those who helped and volunteered their time and trailers. P E R.for boarding, feeding and vetting them.
sheriffs dept.
why didn’t they just give him a candy bar and ask him politely not to eat it in front of the starving horses next time???
Well the story doesn’t say that the judge with held adjudication, or suspended the sentence. So based on the point system it must be that this person never did anything else to cross the law, OR there are some circumstances (involving physiological eval) that prevented this person from have to do jail time. If the physiological evidence does not support the house arrest time I would expect the judge to have him picked up to serve his just sentence. BUT the story does not support that either unfortunately. The facts we are given support the sumation that the judge has not followed the sentencing dictated in this instance. Which is why we need to remember this ones name (John Parham) at election time.
There are several other points I question, if you commit a crime in Florida , are judged and sentenced in Florida, and have probation in Florida what makes this guy so special that he can live in Alabama he ought to have to stay put like anybody else. You know the probation officer isn’t leaving the state to check on this guy. Sounds like a lot of fishy business to me. I wonder how Parham and Bethea are related.
little leeway isn’t NO leeway
there is also witholding of adjudication
there are suspended sentences
and of course, a judge can decide one bit of evidence isn’t wothy of consideration and another is. Just because we don’t understand or agree with a particular judges reasoning in a particular case doesn’t mean it wasn’t valid.
David in a world with many paths
Matter of fact, the only judging involved is whether or not the crime falls within what parameters, the punishment is then prescribed by the law books. If you don’t believe it go look at florida law dot com. You do “x” then the punishment is a,b,or a and b. Even that is calculated by a system of points accrued through previous encounters with law enforcement.
Check the law books, it’s mostly rubber stamp, very little leeway for judgement, or creative punishment.
A judge has to use judgement, otherwise their names should be changed to rubber-stamps.
Judges should have to quote the statute or law pertaining to the judgement and sentencing of each and every person they have appear before them. The rest of us need to understand how he came to each particular decision. All punishments have a “formula” that is the states recommended punishment, alot of them are mandatory.
This one stinks and does not ring true there has to be some mitigating circumstance we are not aware of, but we should be made so even if it violates the convicted person’s privacy , at this point he gave up his rights as an ordinary citizen. Guys who drag donkeys get a year or three and this guy here gets none? hmmmmmmm???????? It might be why the judge ordered a physical eval, if he is very sick the state does not want to take care of him……..in which case monetary punishment could have been more severe, I know the equine rescue people sure could use it.
My first response to this is pure disgust. And in some way, I am purely disgusted to see animals treated this way and such a poor display of justice. I agree…there is much more that could have been done, even outside of making him serve prison sentence. Although I agree jail time should be part of it, it is a shame we all have to pay for it.
Furthermore, I am disgusted because I sit here with my stomach growling because we are nearly out of food, have no money, and I’m making sure my kids and husband (who has to work a stressful job) get fed before I do. To have someone starve horses and get no punishment is absolutely horrendous. He would have done them a favor to euthanize, shoot, or even slit their throats (yes, I wouldn’t do it either), but would be more humane than starving them slowly and he should at the very least, know what starving feels like.
I agree that jail will not teach this ignorant man anything. He is probably
mental and mean, how could anyone treat anything like this who is not.
I also agree that our jails are full and we have murders and drug uses
with guns who are on the streets mistreating people on a daily basis.
That being said WE can not make anyone who murders and torches
anything in our jurisdiction write a letter and pay such a pitiful penance.
Sounds like this guy is 5 years old or the Judge is, and we sure don’t
want children running the show here.
This man needed to LEARN. That is what the law is for and you Judge have
failed us miserably. There was still much, much more you could have
done and still not put him in prison.
That was it? That’s all? 10 horses straved and he gets to stay home? How about lock him up for a year (at least) and starve him for a week. He looks like he could afford to skip a few meals. What a pathetic excuse of a man.
I saw a couple of these animals…and I’m of the mind that people who abuse animals (and children, and old folks, and people who are weaker than they are) should suffer the same fate….not PC, I know…but this is despicable.
What a Joke.You will face whats coming to you 10 fold someday.You should be placed in a cage and starved.This isn’t justice.What kind of deterent is this for future abuse, when someone can walk away with a slap on the wrist like this…shame shame shame….on this judge.Good ol boy system at work once again.
What it all boils down to is ….. our judicial system fails when the sentencing is left up to one man … the “judge”. Shame on you Judge Parham!!! Admittedly, crimes were committed here with 2 horses that died as a result of his neglect in starving them and 8 others that were at the point of dying of starvation according to the vet and had to be removed. The 2 felony counts was enough to get Bethea jail time. Over the years …. no one knows how many other animals he has starved to death. After probation …. what will happen then?
Thank you to Escambia County Sheriff Dept. who did their job in arresting Bethea. Thank you to Panhandle Equine Rescue for responding to the report of a horse down and in trouble and calling the sheriff dept. and getting the vet out and getting the 8 other horses that were in trouble to the vet. That’s working together!
I say again, shame on you Judge Parham! A slap on the wrist to Bethea for such a horrible crime??!! What a message you have sent to others that may be starving their horses right now. Death by starvation is the most painful, grueling death of all.
If a person rapes and murders …. he does the CRIME …. he PAYS the time. What is the difference here!!! These horses gave their life and Bethea writes a letter. Wow, what is wrong with this picture???
Just a thought: 62 years old is NOT old: I am older and have the right to say that!
Be nice???? Ok, the nicest thing I can think of is that this guy ought to get the same treatment he gave to his poor , helpless creatures. Let’s all write letters to the court, very polite letters of course, with our opinions. If the law doesn’t protect the weak, the old , the young , the innocent and helpless creatures it is not doing the job.
WRITE A LETTER ?? Come on now..REALLY…WRITE A LETTER ???
Why not write on a chalkboard…I WILL FEED AND CARE FOR MY ANIMALS…1000 times…this is first grade stuff….why not stand in the corner and put your nose in the circle..second grade stuff…one year in house arrest…HE DONT GO ANYWHERE ANYWAY…Should make him leave his house for a year…poor guy he just did not understand what he was did ….
Horror is where you find it.
sounds fair
reread the story, it was not Judge Swanson
The love of money is the root of all evil…Did you think that you were J.R. Ewing of Dallas? Don’t go overboard in having a ranch if you know that you cannot take care of it? Keep life simple…….
Money is necessary but it cannot make you happy!!!!
Really?!! i hate the legal system how everyone that do something should “actually” pay….this punishment is no where the crime he committe…heck i think he only got off cause he’s a senior citizen…absolutely rediculus!!
RE: molino jim: Just try to remember this judges name when it’s time for reelection,
HOW ABOUT WE REMEMBER ALL OF THE JUDGES NAMES FOR
RE ELECTION!
AND…………..
NOT ONLY IN THE ANIMAL ABUSE CASES BUT THE DRUG (METH) CASES AS WELL.
***METH*** house arrest for some while others get 18 years****12 years for some while others get a month probation****10 years for some while another gets 6 months probation****
So starve an animal to absolute death and write a freakin letter??????????
Hey I have a great idea.
why not put Bethea, Sheffield, and Jernigan in a cell together, give them a bail of hay and invite the westboro group to sit with them??????
Just try to remember this judges name when it’s time for reelection,
Its a vey sad day indeed when a man is convicted of 2 FELONY counts of animal cruelty and yet receives NO jail time. The Statutues call for up to FIVE YEARS JAIL TIME for each felony conviction so he could have gotten 10 yrs.The State had asked for one year jail time and yet Judge Swanson couldn’t even dole that out.
Some of those horses sufferring agonizingly for days, with one in such bad shape he had to be euthanized. The other in critical condtion he could not stand.
Ordering Bethea to write a letter to th P.O. explaining how this could have been prevented is so innocuous.
So he can go anywhere he chooses at his probation officers discretion he pays a very small fine, what about cost of probation supervision monthly? This punishment in no way fits the crime he has done. And why order a physiological eval? How about a psych eval? How about jail time for some of the worst abuse we’ve seen. Write a letter! Holy crap sounds like grade school I will not chew gum in class……. This is just plain wrong.
On second thought…THIS JUST MAKES ME SICK!!!
So these beautiful animals are tortured and he gets a slap on the wrist??? He needs to be locked up and never be allowed to have another animal near him!!! Then when he gets out he should have to spend years working to pay the people who tried to save these animals!!
Do not feel the punishment fights the crime.
This is not enough. This man needs to recieve what he gave. He is just SORRY!
The punishment just doesnt seem to fit the crime in my opinion!