RE: High Crimes Are Misdemeanors/Information

["Jason Abbott" <jabbott@uidaho.edu>]

> Intentionally running over a cat (or otherwise
> destroying "property") is a crime.

What if it's your own cat?  The Idaho statute on such things seems to
be based on cruelty, not property value.  And the statute's definition
for cruelty doesn't cover simple killing but only that which involves
the malicious infliction of pain or mutilation.  We had a variety of
pet dogs and cats while I grew up in the country outside of Troy and
we killed many of them when we deemed it appropriate (usually when
they were suffering from disease or injury).  We didn't intentionally
kill any with a vehicle but so long as it was expedient I don't see
that there would be any crime in doing so.  Admittedly, though, it is
hard to imagine how or why you would try such a thing apart from ill
intent.

Jason Abbott       - Boise, Idaho, USA
jabbott@uidaho.edu - http://boise.uidaho.edu/jason
Home: 208/336-3678 - Work: 208/364-4051 - FAX: 208/387-1246