[StBernard] Dog shooting trial delayed

[Westley Annis]

Dog shooting trial delayed
Prosecutors point to heavy workload Tuesday, May 08, 2007St. Bernard bureau
The trial of two men accused of shooting dogs in St. Bernard Parish during
Hurricane Katrina while working for the Sheriff's Office has been pushed
back to November. 

The trial for Michael Minton, who is no longer working for the Sheriff's
Office, and Clifford "Chip" Englande, a sergeant currently assigned to
administrative duties, had been set to begin today in state District Court
in Chalmette. 

Minton, 43, and Englande, 35, were indicted last year on felony animal
cruelty charges. Both have pleaded innocent. 

 
The men are accused of shooting dogs that had been abandoned by their owners
who evacuated after the parish suffered massive flooding during and after
the hurricane. 

A spokeswoman for state District Judge Robert Buckley said the judge granted
a request by the state attorney general's office, which is prosecuting the
case, to postpone the start of trial. 

The trial is now scheduled to begin Nov. 6 in Chalmette. 

Efforts to reach the attorney general's office for comment Monday were not
successful. 

Englande's attorney, Pat Fanning, said prosecutors, in seeking the delay,
cited a heavy workload because of another hurricane-related St. Bernard
Parish case the attorney general's office is prosecuting. In that case, the
owners of St. Rita's nursing home, near Poydras, are being prosecuted on 35
counts of negligent homicide and 28 counts of cruelty to the infirm. 

Fanning said he and his client were ready for trial.