Alert 9/6/08 September Court Watch
Here are the cases we know about for September. You will see that Sandra Cortes and Brenda Dodson appear several times as they are being prosecuted by both Prince William County and Fairfax County with a number of charges from each jurisdiction. In some cases, the action anticipated is not known.
Once again we urge you to attend cases where there will be a trial or sentencing, and check the day before to make sure the case will, in fact, be held on the scheduled day.
Note that there is a trial scheduled on 9/23/08 for a Michael Vick co-defendant, Tony Taylor. None of the Surry County cases involving Mr. Vick and his co-defendants have moved forward, and there is no reason to think this one will be different. This foot-dragging in the pursuit of justice seems an affront to Virginians generally, and specifically to residents of Surry County who elected Commonwealth Attorney Poindexter.
9/8/08 Monday
1:30 pm
Hanover County Circuit Court
Defendant: James A. Covington
James Covington faced 13 charges when he went to court on 7/2/08. Nine of the 13 charges involved dog fighting wager money and all nine were class 1 misdemeanors. Mr. Covington was convicted on all nine misdemeanor charges on 7/2/08; he filed an appeal on all nine charges that same day. In addition, the remaining four original charges against Mr. Covington went to the Grand Jury, and Mr. Covington was indicted by the Grand Jury on these four charges. Each is a class 6 felony. Charges include dog fighting wager money, possess/own dog for fighting, promote/engage in dogfighting, and wager money on dogfighting. The four charges from the Grand Jury indictment, in addition to the appeal on the nine misdemeanors on which he was convicted, will all be heard on 9/8/08.
action anticipated: trial
NOTE: It is anticipated that Mr. Covington will ask for a jury trial on 9/8/08, and a date for that jury trial will likely be set 9/8/08.
9/9/08 Tuesday
9:00 a.m.
Warren County Circuit Court
Defendant: Joseph P. Godfrey
Joseph Godfrey adopted a miniature pinscher from the Fauquier County SPCA during September, 2007, and two days later brought it to a vet in Marshall with head injuries and hip dislocation, injuries indicating trauma as the result of kicking. The dog was euthanized and Mr. Godfrey was charged with felony animal cruelty. Mr. Godfrey appeared in Warren County General District Court and the case was certified to the Grand Jury, which returned an indictment; the case was moved to Warren County Circuit Court. Mr. Godfrey entered a guilty plea on 7/1/08. Sentencing was scheduled for 8/19/08 but was continued to 9/9/08.
action anticipated: sentencing
9/9/08 Tuesday
2:00 pm
Fairfax County General District Court
Defendant: Sandra I. Cortes
On 7/18/08, Fairfax County police found six dogs in a vacant Alexandria home with no food or water; floors were covered with animal waste. At that time, Sandra I. Cortes and Brenda Dodson (see below) were free on bond after having been arrested in Prince William County and charged there with 28 counts of animal cruelty. Ms. Cortes owned an animal rescue (Assisi’s Animal Rescue Foundation) in Manassas. A condition of the bond was that neither Mr. Cortes nor Ms. Dodson were to have contact with animals. As a result of the Alexandria discovery, the bond has been revoked and both Ms. Cortes and Ms. Dodson are in jail. Fairfax County authorities have charged each of the women with six counts of animal cruelty and two counts of grand larceny, claiming that the dogs were stolen rather than rescued.
action anticipated: preliminary hearing
9/9/08 Tuesday
2:00 pm
Fairfax County General District Court
Defendant: Brenda Elizabeth Dodson
Brenda E. Dodson who worked for Sandra Cortes (above), owner of Assisi’s Animal Rescue Foundation. See Cortes (above) for details.
action anticipated: preliminary hearing
9/18/08 Thursday
2:00 pm
Fairfax General District Court
Defendant: Brenda Elizabeth Dodson
Brenda E. Dodson (also above) is charged with violating her probation which required that she not be in contact with animals.
action anticipated: possible preliminary hearing
9/19/08 Friday
10:30 am
Smyth County General District Court
Defendant: Tyrell Lamar Suggs
On 7/2/08, Smyth county animal control officers responded to a complaint in Saltville of a smell coming from the apartment of Tyrell Suggs. Upon investigation, the smell was found to come from the body of Omar, the Doberman pinscher owned by Mr. Suggs, found in a closet. It is reported that Mr. Suggs was not at the apartment because he had been arrested and jailed.
action anticipated: possible preliminary hearing
9/22/08 Monday
9:00 am
Fauquier County General District Court
Defendant: Christopher Dowd
On 7/28/08, authorities removed 65 animals including cats, chickens, dogs and horses from a home in Sumerduck, and of those, 42 were seized with the remainder surrendered voluntarily by the owner, Christopher Dowd. The majority of the animals were taken to the Middleburg Humane Foundation in Marshall (Fauquier County) with many of them now in need of homes. Mr. Dowd faces one count of class 6 felony animal cruelty and ten counts of class 1 animal cruelty misdemeanors.
action anticipated: trial
9/22/08 Monday
2:00 pm
Fairfax County General District Court
Defendant: Brenda Elizabeth Dodson
Brenda E. Dodson is the defendant in several cases above. In this instance, she faces a felony charge of Grand Larceny and a charge of failure to appear for arraignment.
action anticipated: preliminary hearing
9/23/08 Tuesday
9:00 am
Surry County Circuit Court
Defendant: Anthony (Tony) Taylor
Anthony Taylor faces three cruelty to animals felony charges and one felony dogfighting charge. Mr. Taylor was indicted by the Grand Jury on 9/25/07 with an attorney advisement hearing on 10/3/07. The case was to be set for trial 11/27/07; it was continued to 5/27/08, continued again to 7/22/08, and is now set for 9/23/08.
NOTE: Mr. Taylor is a Michael Vick co-defendant
action anticipated: postponement
9/23/08 Tuesday
9:30 am
Harrisonburg Division, Western District of Virginia, US District Court; Harrisonburg, VA
Defendant: Albert Taylor
A federal cockfighting case in Page County, Albert Taylor will be tried on 9/23/08 for accepting bribe payments and transmitting them to a Page County official. The trial, scheduled for 9/23, may last as long as 9/26.
action anticipated: criminal jury trial