http://www.newsherald.com/news/dismiss-96700-motion-second.html
Former greyhound trainer's motion to dismiss is denied
News Herald Staff Report - September 08, 2011
CHIPLEY -- A second motion to dismiss the case against Ronald “Ronnie” Williams has been denied.
Williams is charged with 42 counts of felony animal cruelty in relation to the death of 37 dogs in the kennels at Ebro Greyhound Park and the severe neglect of five survivors.
The motion filed by public defender Floyd Griffith in early August claimed the animal cruelty statute Williams is being prosecuted under is unconstitutional because of its vague definition of willfully causing an animals pain and suffering and “does not give fair warning” to people of common intelligence.
Circuit Court Judge Christopher Patterson denied the motion on Tuesday, stating in his order the “statutory language is both plain and unambiguous” and “the lack of specific intent provisions… does not render the statute unconstitutional on due process grounds.”
An earlier motion to dismiss was also denied last month.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Study by Dr. Guillermo Couto/OSU confirms greyhounds' blood pressure rises in veterinary hospital settings
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-09/osu-ee090611.php
'White-coat effect' elevates greyhounds' blood pressure
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The "white-coat effect" is not reserved for only the human patients who see their blood pressure rise in response to the stress of a doctor visit.
In a new study, researchers have determined that anxiety associated with being in a veterinary hospital elevates the blood pressure in retired racing greyhounds – a breed known for having higher-than-average blood pressure in the first place.
The average systolic arterial pressure – the top number in a blood pressure reading – in the dogs was about 30 points higher in a veterinary clinic when compared to blood pressure recorded at home.
The environment seemed to make all the difference. Blood pressure readings recorded in a home were similar when taken by either a veterinary student or the dog's owner. In general, normal blood pressure in dogs, as in humans, is 120 over 80.
Some animals' blood pressure readings normalize after they've had time to acclimate to the hospital setting, but in these greyhounds, that trend is less common. According to the researchers, this study suggests that the presence of the dog owner might have a more calming effect than the passage of time in the clinic.
"We see a lot of greyhounds and they are very high-strung dogs," said Guillermo Couto, professor of veterinary clinical sciences at Ohio State University and senior author of the study. "Some greyhounds come in here with blood pressure above what an instrument can read – that is 300 systolic. We know this could not really be their blood pressure because these dogs would be dead. But we also almost never get blood pressure under 150 or 160 for systolic.
"In the study, their blood pressure was nearly normal at home, independently of whether the researcher or the owner checked the pressure. To my knowledge, nobody has documented that white-coat effect in dogs with hard data before."
Most of the estimated 200,000 pet greyhounds in the United States are former racers that have been adopted at the end of their careers. Couto and colleagues recommend that retired racing greyhounds' blood pressure be recorded in the home if possible to provide a more accurate measure.
The study is published in the current issue of the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
The scientists performed the study with 22 retired racing greyhounds that are enrolled in a blood donor program at Ohio State's Veterinary Medical Center. The average age of the dogs was 7 ½ years. Twelve were male and 10 were female.
Blood pressure measurements were taken in three different ways: in the veterinary medical center by a veterinary student wearing scrubs; in the dog's home by that same student, again wearing scrubs; and in the home by the dog's owner.
In-home blood pressure readings were taken between seven and 28 days after the hospital measurements to avoid any effects of the dogs' blood donations during their hospital stays. The owners then followed the student's in-home reading 24 hours later.
The student used a specialized machine and instructed each owner on how to use it, providing reading material and offering a demonstration. The machine costs about $1,500, but Couto said manufacturers are currently working on developing a less expensive and more user-friendly device that could be used by dog owners in a home setting.
The researchers recorded systolic pressure, diastolic pressure – the lower number in a blood pressure reading, mean arterial pressure and heart rate.
The systolic and mean arterial pressures, as well as heart rate readings, taken in the hospital were significantly higher than all of those same measures taken in the home environment. The average hind-limb systolic pressure was 165, compared to at-home measures of 131 and 133 when taken by the researcher and the owner, respectively.
"This study emphasizes the need to consider the environment in which the blood pressure is measured before diagnosing or eliminating hypertension," Couto said.
Unlike the blood pressure readings, heart-rate levels, while still higher than in the home, were lower in the clinic among "veteran" greyhounds that had frequently visited the hospital before the study. According to the researchers, this finding suggested that acclimation to the clinical environment did affect this particular stress response.
The researchers also found that the limb used to measure blood pressure affected the results. Measures were taken in both forelimbs and hind limbs. Measures tended to be higher in the back legs, but the reasons for this were not determined by the study.
Couto and his colleagues are now exploring whether retired racing greyhounds' hypertension resulting from this white-coat effect causes any damage to their kidneys or other organs.
Couto, an oncologist, is leading a number of studies on these animals to gauge the effects of racing on their health, as well as likely genetic contributions to their high risk for bone cancer. Since he adopted his first retired racing greyhound 20 years ago, he has been committed to investigating their physiologic idiosyncrasies.
"They're hypertensive and yet they don't have target organ lesions that people with hypertension get. They have strokes, unlike most dogs, but the strokes they have are different from strokes in hypertensive humans. Their kidneys and eyes don't take a beating from the high blood pressure," he said. "So my thinking is that greyhounds are 'Type-A personality' dogs. They are raised in a racing environment, but they are pack animals, so this stresses them out. And then once they retire, they are couch potatoes. We're trying to put all of this together, and it's all aimed at promoting wellness in these dogs."
This research was supported by the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine Summer Student Research Fellowship Program and Ohio State's Greyhound Health and Wellness Development Funds.
Co-authors include fourth-year student Christina Marino, clinical instructor Richard Cober and Maria Iazbik, managing director of the Animal Blood Bank, all of Ohio State's College of Veterinary Medicine.
'White-coat effect' elevates greyhounds' blood pressure
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The "white-coat effect" is not reserved for only the human patients who see their blood pressure rise in response to the stress of a doctor visit.
In a new study, researchers have determined that anxiety associated with being in a veterinary hospital elevates the blood pressure in retired racing greyhounds – a breed known for having higher-than-average blood pressure in the first place.
The average systolic arterial pressure – the top number in a blood pressure reading – in the dogs was about 30 points higher in a veterinary clinic when compared to blood pressure recorded at home.
The environment seemed to make all the difference. Blood pressure readings recorded in a home were similar when taken by either a veterinary student or the dog's owner. In general, normal blood pressure in dogs, as in humans, is 120 over 80.
Some animals' blood pressure readings normalize after they've had time to acclimate to the hospital setting, but in these greyhounds, that trend is less common. According to the researchers, this study suggests that the presence of the dog owner might have a more calming effect than the passage of time in the clinic.
"We see a lot of greyhounds and they are very high-strung dogs," said Guillermo Couto, professor of veterinary clinical sciences at Ohio State University and senior author of the study. "Some greyhounds come in here with blood pressure above what an instrument can read – that is 300 systolic. We know this could not really be their blood pressure because these dogs would be dead. But we also almost never get blood pressure under 150 or 160 for systolic.
"In the study, their blood pressure was nearly normal at home, independently of whether the researcher or the owner checked the pressure. To my knowledge, nobody has documented that white-coat effect in dogs with hard data before."
Most of the estimated 200,000 pet greyhounds in the United States are former racers that have been adopted at the end of their careers. Couto and colleagues recommend that retired racing greyhounds' blood pressure be recorded in the home if possible to provide a more accurate measure.
The study is published in the current issue of the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
The scientists performed the study with 22 retired racing greyhounds that are enrolled in a blood donor program at Ohio State's Veterinary Medical Center. The average age of the dogs was 7 ½ years. Twelve were male and 10 were female.
Blood pressure measurements were taken in three different ways: in the veterinary medical center by a veterinary student wearing scrubs; in the dog's home by that same student, again wearing scrubs; and in the home by the dog's owner.
In-home blood pressure readings were taken between seven and 28 days after the hospital measurements to avoid any effects of the dogs' blood donations during their hospital stays. The owners then followed the student's in-home reading 24 hours later.
The student used a specialized machine and instructed each owner on how to use it, providing reading material and offering a demonstration. The machine costs about $1,500, but Couto said manufacturers are currently working on developing a less expensive and more user-friendly device that could be used by dog owners in a home setting.
The researchers recorded systolic pressure, diastolic pressure – the lower number in a blood pressure reading, mean arterial pressure and heart rate.
The systolic and mean arterial pressures, as well as heart rate readings, taken in the hospital were significantly higher than all of those same measures taken in the home environment. The average hind-limb systolic pressure was 165, compared to at-home measures of 131 and 133 when taken by the researcher and the owner, respectively.
"This study emphasizes the need to consider the environment in which the blood pressure is measured before diagnosing or eliminating hypertension," Couto said.
Unlike the blood pressure readings, heart-rate levels, while still higher than in the home, were lower in the clinic among "veteran" greyhounds that had frequently visited the hospital before the study. According to the researchers, this finding suggested that acclimation to the clinical environment did affect this particular stress response.
The researchers also found that the limb used to measure blood pressure affected the results. Measures were taken in both forelimbs and hind limbs. Measures tended to be higher in the back legs, but the reasons for this were not determined by the study.
Couto and his colleagues are now exploring whether retired racing greyhounds' hypertension resulting from this white-coat effect causes any damage to their kidneys or other organs.
Couto, an oncologist, is leading a number of studies on these animals to gauge the effects of racing on their health, as well as likely genetic contributions to their high risk for bone cancer. Since he adopted his first retired racing greyhound 20 years ago, he has been committed to investigating their physiologic idiosyncrasies.
"They're hypertensive and yet they don't have target organ lesions that people with hypertension get. They have strokes, unlike most dogs, but the strokes they have are different from strokes in hypertensive humans. Their kidneys and eyes don't take a beating from the high blood pressure," he said. "So my thinking is that greyhounds are 'Type-A personality' dogs. They are raised in a racing environment, but they are pack animals, so this stresses them out. And then once they retire, they are couch potatoes. We're trying to put all of this together, and it's all aimed at promoting wellness in these dogs."
This research was supported by the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine Summer Student Research Fellowship Program and Ohio State's Greyhound Health and Wellness Development Funds.
Co-authors include fourth-year student Christina Marino, clinical instructor Richard Cober and Maria Iazbik, managing director of the Animal Blood Bank, all of Ohio State's College of Veterinary Medicine.
Alabama bingo retrial delayed
http://www.chron.com/news/article/Judge-delays-retrial-in-Ala-gambling-retrial-2141096.php
Judge delays retrial in Ala. gambling retrial
By Phillip Rawls, Associated Press - August 25, 2011
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday agreed to postpone a retrial in Alabama's gambling corruption case for three months to give attorneys on both sides more time to prepare, even though the new date could cause a conflict with their favorite college football teams.
U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson had originally set the retrial to begin Oct. 3, but both defense and prosecuting attorneys complained that didn't give them enough time to get ready and handle other cases they have.
During a hearing Thursday, Thompson set a tentative date of Jan. 9.
Bill Baxley, defense attorney for VictoryLand casino lobbyist Tom Coker and a University of Alabama graduate, pointed out that date coincides with the national football championship game in New Orleans, and some of the people in the trial and some of the potential jurors might want to attend the game if Alabama or Auburn is competing in it.
Baxley's request for a different date got shot down by the judge. "You have a judge who went to neither Alabama nor Auburn," said Thompson, who got his undergraduate and law degrees from Yale University.
Thompson said he will rule later on federal prosecutors' request to split up the seven remaining defendants for three separate retrials rather than trying them all at once.
Thompson said the federal government chose to indict the defendants together and try them together initially, and he's reluctant to split them up for retrials.
"You indicted them together. You deal with the consequences," he told federal prosecutor Edward Kang.
Originally, nine defendants were tried together for nine weeks and then jury deliberations took an additional week. On Aug. 11, the jury acquitted two defendants, Sen. Quinton Ross of Montgomery and VictoryLand lobbyist Bob Geddie. The jury found the others not guilty on some charges and couldn't reach a verdict on others. No one was convicted.
Kang said the trial took much longer than anticipated because the defense spent many days questioning witnesses presented by the prosecution.
The judge bristled at that comment and said the trial went unusually fast for one involving well-known defendants facing multiple charges.
"I challenge you to find another case that tried nine defendants in nine weeks," Thomspon told Kang.
Kang said the prosecution wants to split the defendants into three groups for separate retrials because that would make the trials shorter and less complex. He proposed trying VictoryLand casino owner Milton McGregor and former legislative bill writer Ray Crosby first. Sen. Harri Anne Smith of Slocomb would be second. The remaining four defendants — former Sens. Larry Means of Attalla and Jim Preuitt of Talladega, casino spokesman Jay Walker and Coker — would be last.
All of the defendants except Coker oppose that.
One of McGregor's attorneys, Ben Espy, said prosecutors were trying to change the rules in the middle of the game because they were unhappy with the outcome. "They are concerned about getting an advantage," he said.
He said selecting three juries and holding three trials would take far longer than a single combined trial because much of the testimony would be repeated in each trial.
If the judge splits up the defendants for retrial, the first case would begin Jan. 9.
In addition to ruling on one retrial or three, the judge also must rule on the prosecutors' request to talk to jurors from the first trial to see why they couldn't reach a verdict on some charges. Thompson said federal judges in Montgomery usually don't allow jurors to be questioned after a trial.
Judge delays retrial in Ala. gambling retrial
By Phillip Rawls, Associated Press - August 25, 2011
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday agreed to postpone a retrial in Alabama's gambling corruption case for three months to give attorneys on both sides more time to prepare, even though the new date could cause a conflict with their favorite college football teams.
U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson had originally set the retrial to begin Oct. 3, but both defense and prosecuting attorneys complained that didn't give them enough time to get ready and handle other cases they have.
During a hearing Thursday, Thompson set a tentative date of Jan. 9.
Bill Baxley, defense attorney for VictoryLand casino lobbyist Tom Coker and a University of Alabama graduate, pointed out that date coincides with the national football championship game in New Orleans, and some of the people in the trial and some of the potential jurors might want to attend the game if Alabama or Auburn is competing in it.
Baxley's request for a different date got shot down by the judge. "You have a judge who went to neither Alabama nor Auburn," said Thompson, who got his undergraduate and law degrees from Yale University.
Thompson said he will rule later on federal prosecutors' request to split up the seven remaining defendants for three separate retrials rather than trying them all at once.
Thompson said the federal government chose to indict the defendants together and try them together initially, and he's reluctant to split them up for retrials.
"You indicted them together. You deal with the consequences," he told federal prosecutor Edward Kang.
Originally, nine defendants were tried together for nine weeks and then jury deliberations took an additional week. On Aug. 11, the jury acquitted two defendants, Sen. Quinton Ross of Montgomery and VictoryLand lobbyist Bob Geddie. The jury found the others not guilty on some charges and couldn't reach a verdict on others. No one was convicted.
Kang said the trial took much longer than anticipated because the defense spent many days questioning witnesses presented by the prosecution.
The judge bristled at that comment and said the trial went unusually fast for one involving well-known defendants facing multiple charges.
"I challenge you to find another case that tried nine defendants in nine weeks," Thomspon told Kang.
Kang said the prosecution wants to split the defendants into three groups for separate retrials because that would make the trials shorter and less complex. He proposed trying VictoryLand casino owner Milton McGregor and former legislative bill writer Ray Crosby first. Sen. Harri Anne Smith of Slocomb would be second. The remaining four defendants — former Sens. Larry Means of Attalla and Jim Preuitt of Talladega, casino spokesman Jay Walker and Coker — would be last.
All of the defendants except Coker oppose that.
One of McGregor's attorneys, Ben Espy, said prosecutors were trying to change the rules in the middle of the game because they were unhappy with the outcome. "They are concerned about getting an advantage," he said.
He said selecting three juries and holding three trials would take far longer than a single combined trial because much of the testimony would be repeated in each trial.
If the judge splits up the defendants for retrial, the first case would begin Jan. 9.
In addition to ruling on one retrial or three, the judge also must rule on the prosecutors' request to talk to jurors from the first trial to see why they couldn't reach a verdict on some charges. Thompson said federal judges in Montgomery usually don't allow jurors to be questioned after a trial.
Labels:
Alabama,
corruption,
gambling,
VictoryLand
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