Posted on 03/31/2008 8:22:30 PM PDT by BurbankKarl
A Santa Clarita Valley woman apologized today as she was sentenced to probation for two years for unleashing two dogs, including a pit bull, on an Internal Revenue Service employee in October.
Lisa Hriczo Blechman, 47, had no comment other than "I'm sorry" at her sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson.
Blechman pleaded guilty in January to one misdemeanor count of assaulting a federal officer.
She unleashed the dogs on IRS employee Ruth Seidman, who was attempting to post a summons on Blechman's home. At the time, the IRS was auditing the business of Blechman's husband, Gregg.
Seidman was frightened by the animals, even though they didn't run toward her, prosecutors said.
In court papers, Deputy Federal Public Defender Kimberly Savo argued the dogs were harmless and the pit bull was suffering from a bad case of arthritis.
Savo also wrote in a Nov. 28 letter to prosecutors that Seidman had no authority to be on the Blechmans' property since Gregg Blechman gave power of attorney to his accountants during the audit.
Her client's medical history of anxiety attacks and other ailments contributed to the assault, Savo said.
So where is the crime?
unleashing a pitbull on someone should get a attempted murder charge.
Except for IRS agents.
Is this fedgov speak? This clearly implies she set the dogs upon the federal tax collector.
Yet further down the article it states, "They didn't run toward her, prosecutors said."
Which is it?
What crime was committed?
How’s those taxes coming along this year my friend?
Interesting...You come in her suggesting murder charges against the tax payer, yet you can’t even answer the question as to what crime was committed, and then you implied the tax payer “set the dogs on the tax collector” when even the prosecutor denied this occurred.
Er...You come in here suggesting attempted murder charges against the tax payer....
According to the article, misdemeanor assault on a federal officer.
Just fine. As a law abiding citizen, I pay taxes through the nose so all of the miscreants and illegal alien welfare recipients can get their fare share of free services.
What? Just probation. What an outrageously light sentence! I would have fined her too. 75 cents. (Well, actually a dollar, but she gets to withhold 25 cents.)
I find it hard to sympathize with IRS agents, myself.
I’m scratching my head too on this one. Is it a crime for your dog to scare someone? My dog scares people everyday. He doesn’t even have to bark or growl.
As a Christian, I'm not wishing harm on anyone, it was just a silly, sarcastic, comment.
Well, remember that there are citizens, and then there are federal agents. The laws that apply to one set of people don’t at all necessarily apply to the other.
Except for IRS agents."
In which case they should be given a medal.
She did not have a receipt for the pit bull.
Yeah, and it states the woman pleaded guilty in January to one misdemeanor count of assaulting a federal officer.
Yet the prosecutor stated the dogs didn't even run towards the tax collector.
How's this work? Me thinks this woman should have fought this charge, but then again, she was probable threatened by the IRS enough times into just complying.
Of course you are right. How silly of me.
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