Alert 1/18/08 RICO Dogfighting Bill on 1/22/08
Time/Place: Tuesday, 1/22/08
It will be heard ½ hour after the Session of the General Assembly adjourns, likely near 2 pm.
The hearing will be 3 rd Floor East of the General Assembly Building.
This is the hearing for the RICO dogfighting bill, Senate Bill 26 (SB 26), patroned by Sen. Roscoe Reynolds. This is the bill we had anticipated being heard last Monday, 1/14. The link to the bill:
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=081&typ=bil&val=sb26
Please be there as this bill is very important to Virginia’s animals and to the future prosecution of dogfighting in Virginia.
Please let us know if you will be there and are willing to say a few words (less than a minute) in support of the bill.
This bill will be heard by the Criminal Subcommittee of the Committee for Courts of Justice, chaired by Sen. Reynolds.
Please do this:
1. First, thank Sen. Reynolds for being the patron for this important piece of legislation. His full name is Sen. W. Roscoe Reynolds. His email: district20@sov.state.va.us
2. Contact all the members of the Senate Criminal Subcommittee and ask each to support of the bill. The list of committee members is at the end of this alert.
Subject line should be: please vote in favor of SB 26
Message should ask them to pass SB 26. See the talking points below for ideas.
3. Next, send a quick note or make a quick phone call to your own delegate, and let them know you want this bill passed, and so you ask their support. This is particularly important to do if your delegate also happens to be a member of the Senate Criminal Subcommittee.
background :
dogfighting often is a well-organized businesses with gangs, drugs, and gambling accompanying the actual fighting
talking points:
a. provides a strong incentive for prosecution and a balance to the costs of prosecution
b. provides more comprehensive investigatory powers
c. extends statutes of limitations
d. offsets/defrays prosecution costs in advance of prosecution; pre-conviction “seize and freeze” of a defendant’s assets
e. tool to directly target organized dogfighting rings
f. applies a properly serious penalty to a heinous and barbaric activity
Hope to see you there!
Lillian Clancy and Don Marro
_________
Senate Courts of Justice Criminal Subcommittee
Reynolds, W. Roscoe, Chairman
Blevins, Harry B.
Howell, Janet D.
McDougle, Ryan
Norment, Thomas K.
Saslaw, Richard L.
Stolle, Kenneth W.