Posted on 07/18/2007 5:30:49 AM PDT by Fawn
CLEARWATER - A decade ago, Rolande Daniels was convicted of animal cruelty for cracking the head of his dog with a bat, knocking out its teeth.
The case sparked such an outrage that 57,000 people signed a petition asking a judge for a stiff sentence. He was given a year in jail, though he ended up serving less than that.
Daniels was in court again Tuesday, this time accused of inflicting bruises to the face of his infant daughter two years ago.
His trial in Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court was to have started Tuesday morning, but instead, Daniels, 33, pleaded no contest to a child abuse charge.
He also pleaded no contest to charges of resisting arrest with violence and possession of marijuana, which stemmed from an unrelated incident last fall.
He will be sentenced July 31. He faced up to 11 years in prison for all three counts. Instead, prosecutors will recommend that he receive 19.6 months.
The child abuse charge stems from Feb. 14, 2005, when prosecutors allege Daniels hurt Emilee Daniels in a St. Petersburg motel room where he was staying with the girl's mother.
The girl's mother, Marissa Umberger, was at work, court records show.
Daniels called her in the afternoon and told her about the bruises, according to court records. Umberger then took the girl to get medical attention, which prompted an investigation.
In February 1996, Daniels nearly bludgeoned to death his 6-month-old pit bullterrier at his St. Petersburg home after the dog got into the garbage.
The story outraged animal lovers. A defense attorney tried in vain to get the trial moved out of the county.
Assistant State Attorney Joseph Werner said Daniels' animal cruelty conviction would not have played a role in the child abuse trial.
A person's past criminal history would play a role during sentencing, he said.
Defense attorney John Trevena said prosecutors initially sought five years on the child abuse case.
Though Daniels "steadfastly" denies that he hit his daughter, Trevena said his client took the plea bargain because going to trial would have been risky.
The prosecutor's expert doctor would have told jurors that the injuries to the girl could have been caused by Daniels, Trevena said.
The defense expert would have said the girl could have fallen off the bed.
"It was not worthwhile to risk 11 years in prison," Trevena said. "... given the lenient offer by the state, he wasn't going to turn that down."
Filthy lout is selfish and evil tempered and deserves to be in jail. Hope he gets a taste of his own medicine there.
Animals first, then people. It never fails.
Jeffrey Dahmer...same progression.
As my buddy the USAF JAG used to say, “There is honor among thieves and murderers. Kiddy diddlers and cannibals don’t do well behind the wire.”
As long as cruel losers like this continue to breed with foolish brain dead women who put maternal protection instincts after an itchy crotch...these things will continue
Bingo...
Glen Beck agrees too....he puts both animal and human abuse in the same category ..... he says he won’t even eat veal because of the way the calf is tortured. He says that cruelty in his food is unappealing. lol.
Exactly!
I hope those who try to downplay what Vick is accused of doing take note.
Well...as 3 radio hosts have said...Vick is psychologically VOID...a degenerate....has serious character flaws. Personally I think anyone who is found to abuse animals should be yanked out of society immediately. This means teens who put them in microwaves, put them in garbage cans and throw in fircrackers, douse them with gas and set on fire, continually throw a cat in the lake make it swim to shore and throw it back in until it drowns, shooting with arrow or guns...just some of the recent ones I’ve read about. These people are souless and dangerous. Get rid of em.
I agree.
It is going to be interesting to see how the Vick case is handled by the NFL.
All the 'experts' thought he was not going to be indicted and he would not have been had it been left to the DA of State of Virgina, who was clearly covering for him.
These dog-fighting rings are closely associated with other illegal activity, such as drugs, hence the FBI getting involved and gathering the needed evidence against Vick.
What about penguin clubbers?
WATCH IT!....That’s a smear to filthy louts everywhere!
Seriously,though....He needs to burn in Hell.
Club the penguin clubbers....or give them to Al Queda for a good beheading.
What woman would get involved with a guy like this?
A hillbilly toothless hag.
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