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Juvenile Sentenced To Almost One Year In Jail For Shooting Donkey
November 25, 2009
The Cantonment juvenile who shot and killed a donkey near Jacks Branch Road back in May has been sentenced to almost a year in the county jail.
Kyle Mason Driver, 17, was charged as an adult with felony animal cruelty or death, using a weapon during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a minor. Driver was sentenced to 11 months and 15 days in the Escambia County Jail and three years probation in connection with the case. Judge Kenneth L. Williams gave Driver until January 8, 2010, to report to the county jail to begin his sentence.
Driver must also pay restitution to Panhandle Equine Rescue of $440.38. Under the terms of his probation, he must not own any livestock.
Escambia County deputies said Driver has confessed to shooting a donkey on River Annex Road near Jacks Branch Road late the night of May 2. The female donkey shot by Driver gave birth moments before or after being shot to J.B. a white donkey that became a local media celebrity of sorts.
Driver turned himself in at the county jail on May 6, about two hours after NorthEscambia.com published his photo and a plea for the public’s help in locating him from the sheriff’s department.
Comments
29 Responses to “Juvenile Sentenced To Almost One Year In Jail For Shooting Donkey”
I disagree with the posts stating it’s too much time for this juvenile. He is old enough to know right from wrong. Personally he needs more time in jail. I have farm animals and if anyone killed my animals I would hope they pay for the crime.
Do the crime, face the punishment. Maybe his sentence is too short. IT’S TIME FOR THIS COUNTRY TO GET CONTROL AND PUNISH CRIMINALS! There has to be accountability, for all crime, I have no mercy for people of any age that commit such crimes on people or animals.
Wow! Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (against a person) while waiting to be sentenced for shooting the donkey. What a moron. I’m sure he’s just getting started with his criminal career. It’ll be interesting to watch.
To Art:
First off “ART” you shouldn’t downgrade people under 25 because they are no different from a 30 or 40 year old! And second off peoples mind don’t develope by how old they are crazy. People make dumb mistakes because they choose to not because their minds are underdeveloped. I think you are a very insane person and need to keep your comments to yourself if you are gonna talk about people like that! And for the rest of you who downgrade teenagers and young adults you do the same ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE! POINT ONE FINGER, 4 ARE POINTING BACK!
What is a shame is this guy got more time for killing a donkey than a guy in Santa Rosa got for killing my uncle being charged with his “3rd” DUI….
Being a libra I’ll weigh it out this way: animals do no intentional harm, but
humans do; plus humans are supposed to have more intelligence. I hope his
sentence will teach him that animals are to be loved and respected no matter
what, after all they do not do the horrible things humans do to create a sick
and polluted planet.
GUESS JUDGE WILLIAMS WANTS THIS PUNK TO SPEND THE HOLIDAYS WITH HIS MOMMY AND DADDY.ALL THE INMATES IN THE MORGAN HILTON ARE GOING TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE COMING IN FOR EITHER WAY. DRIVER WILL BE THE MOST POPULAR NEW FISH IN SOME TIME.WHAT WOULD BE A GOOD ENOUGH REASON TO GO TO JAIL WHEN YOU GET READY ILLNESS,SCHOOL,SANTA CLAUS? JUST CURIOUS,THIS GUY COMMITED A HORRIBLE CRIME AND SHOULD BE BEHIND BARS NOW NOT NEXT YEAR. A.W. THOMPSON MOSQUITO FLATS, FLORIDA.
It is a bit too much time for a child to serve but I think is sets a great example to criminals. Judges seem to have stopped being tough on lesser crimes and I feel like this is why people tend to commit these crimes more and more. People should be sent to jail for things such as domestic violence, simple assault, minor theft, disorderly conduct, etc. Don’t just send them to get help that they don’t want and don’t think they need. Punishment is a much greater deterant…………it was the entire time that I was growing up. When someone makes me angry I may want to put “the stomp” on them but I choose not to because of the consequences. It is normal for people to fear consequences and this is what keep you and your children from screwing up.
All you bleeding hearts take notice. Justice has been served and served well. Take a long walk on a short pier.
I feel 1 year is a bit much, he needs mental help more than time in jail.
TO guess who
So he accidentally picked up the gun, accidentally pointed it at the donkey, and accidentally pulled the trigger?
maybe he was hungry.
If you look at the clerk of court website, adjudication was withheld. He is not a convicted felon. Even if he violates his probation he more than likely will still not be a convicted felon. I personally think he got off lightly. He was charged with 2nd and 3rd degree felonies. The 2nd degree charge was a possible 15 year sentence(weapons violation). He broke that law and I believe he was slapped on the wrist. If you want the laws changed, run for congress. As far as sexual abuse in county jail, there is a greater chance of that happening at home(remote). I spent a year in jail here and it was not fun but I don’t want to go back, so I guess incarceration worked for me.
HAS IT EVER OCCURED TO ANY OF YOU THAT THIS WAS AN ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING AND NOT AN INTENTIONAL SHOOTING? MAYBE YOU SHOULD GO DOWN TO THE COURT HOUSE AND VIEW THE FILES. THE STATE ATTORNEY NOR THE NEWS MEDIA CAN’T DARE TELL YOU THAT THIS WAS AN ACCIDENT. WHY DO YOU THINK HE CONFESSED???????
OK, I’m not exactly an “animal rights activist” by any stretch of the imagination. I am in no way opposed to the hunting or killing of animals for food. But there is a distinct difference in killing animals, wild or farm-raised, for food and the senseless killing of a penned animal for nothing more than the lust to kill. This animal was little more than a pet that depended on human beings for it’s survival, and this person just kills it. And now everyone is like “Oh this poor misunderstood boy….. getting mistreated by the system….. should get a lighter sentence….” Personally I think the judge is being WAY too light on him!
Parent of three.scroll down and read what i said again. Nowhere did i say just a donkey.If this was one of your kids who done this i am sure you would stand up in court and say they needed to go to jail. Idoubt it.I was young at onetime and so was you did you think things through rationally at 17 NO. i personally know a preacher and a judge who in there younger days who shot deer illegaly at night. Were they wrong,DEFINATELY. did they deserve to go to jail for a year of course not. They grew up like the rest of us and would never dream of doing something like that again and by the way they never killed anybody either.I think we all should think back to our teenage years and look at what we or our friends did that was so crazy and if caught with todays laws would have went to jail. Then look at these same people today and see if they turned out to be descent people or are they all criminals I do not know this boy or none of his family but i cant help but feel this is unjust punishment. probation ,a big fine and work for the owner of the donkey for a year would be punishment enough if he broke probation then he would serve his time
Lawyer,
For a person of your profession, you seem to have some common sense.(LOL)
I agree with your ideas!!!
I love animals, but I love our children more. Killing a donkey in a nation where people go out and shoot all manner of animals for fun and sport? OK, it’s a problem, but the best course of action for society – versus politically minded prosecutors — would have been to place this very young man in a treatment facility, have him apologize to the owners, and place him on probation where he is required to work with animals for a couple of years. All that this will do is ensure that a 17 year old becomes a totally damaged, non-functioning member of society. He’ll have an adult criminal record that keeps him from getting an education or work, and after seeing his picture, it is obvious he will be sexually victimized in your notorious jail system. For killing a donkey? You have endangered yourselves and others by taking a kid with serious problems and doing something even crueler and more brutal than he did.
He needed to be punished but, this is a bit excessive. The hardcore animal rights people are the same people that call hunters and fisherman murderers.
He should have been given some probation and ALOT of community service. If he violated that, then I can see locking him up.
Darryl, if you will check http://www.escambiaclerk.com website, you will find that Mr. Driver committed ANOTHER violent act, this time against a person; only three months after shooting the donkey. Jail or no jail, he is already on the wrong road. We can only hope that jail time will give him time to rethink how he wants to live his life. I also don’t understand why he has until Jan. 8th to turn himself in; that baby donkey wasn’t given the time to complete his first nursing from his mother before she was shot before his very eyes.
On the punishment, I too think it excessive. Why not make him work it off for the owner? Once he goes to jail, he is done as far as our society is concerned. He’ll have a record and won’t be able to get a decent job and more than likely end back up in prison. I think this should apply to most minor crimes of first timers.
On the psychology of this individual, did he have a history of this type of animal abuse? Is it a one time deal or was it a repeat of past deeds? If it is a one time occurrence, then I know the punishment is too harsh.
If he falls into the statistical category of the norm for someone with a prison record, Escambia County can count on taking care of him for most of his remaining life, for he won’t be able to.
Uncle, I just want to hear your argument. What do you think should be done to this young man? What if it was your animal, donkey or not? Have you ever thought a donkey this time a human next time? If you research criminals each one of them started with something “small” (and I do not call shooting a donkey “small”) then progress to larger more daring crimes. I agree we do need to pray for him but he also must pray for himself and pay for his crime. I have had many people tell me, including his own mom, he thought it was a deer. That being said, he WAS BREAKING THE LAW by night hunting, shooting on private property, reckless firearm, etc. Do you realize he could have gotten more time for night hunting and killing a deer than he did for killing a pregnant donkey. Again, I ask you for your argument. You said it was “just a donkey” and living, breathing, animal that GOD put on this earth. Remember when you give me your argument of why he sould not serve jail time then it must go for every one else that commits any crime closely related…including if it is one of your beloved animals. I do not think this young man is a bad person however, I DO feel he must pay for a crime he committed and remember I know the family.
He may be just a teenager but he looked at a living, warm blooded animal and fired a weapon at it with intent to kill. Should be much longer probation time with psychological counseling and working for PERS for free under supervision.
If someone can kill an innocent animal, what else are they capable of? Of course he should be punished.
A sentence to jail is waist of time, but a sentence of service to the people that owned the animal would work better. If he failed to serve that sentence then let him do the jail time.
not condoning what the kid did by any stretch of the imagination, but teenager’s brains are wired differently than adults. it is a fact. kids are driven by their emotions, not reasoning and logic. their brains have not made the switch from the amygdala (emotion) to the cortex (thought and reasoning). that is why they make irrational decisions. people look at me like i am from another planet when i suggest teenagers and young “adults” should not be allowed adult privileges and responsibilities until their brains are fully developed, say around age 25. no drivers licenses, no guns, no going off to wars. period.
i wonder if the judge or anyone else would have put their son in jail for a year for shooting a donkey.No doubt he was wrong and needed to be punished but this is ridicoulous.I guess all the animal rights people can sleep alot better knowing that another dangerous criminal is behind bars.WE need to pray for this young man.
Shame on you !!!! Driver, u knew better than to do that! SHAME ON YOU!!!!!!!
Not enough time for that heinous crime.