Melissa Broadbent, a defendant in an animal cruelty case, appeared in City Court this afternoon and surrendered ownership of her dog, a pit bull named Rocky.
Rocky was scaled with hot water sometime around July 20. Broadbent's boyfriend is accused of abusing the dog and Broadbent is accused of facilitating the crime and trying to cover it up.
We reported earlier today that Rocky is at the Animal Shelter and doing much better.
An animal control officer was in court today when Broadbent signed a document turning the dog over to the Sheriff's Office. The change in ownership will allow Animal Shelter volunteers to seek a new home for Rocky.
With Broadbent's agreement, Rocky is spared potential months in confinement at the shelter while her case winds through the legal process.
Broadbent, 36, is charged with: "overdriving, torturing and injuring" an animal; endangering the welfare of a child; first-degree coercion; offering a false written statement; intimidating a witness or victim in the third degree; and owning/harboring an unlicensed dog.
With no prior felony or misdemeanor convictions, Broadbent was released from custody and placed under supervision by Genesee Justice by Judge Robert Balbick.
Broadbent's boyfriend, 26-year-old Brandon M. Maldonado, of 52 Walnut St., is charged with aggravated cruelty to an animal and offering a false written statement. He also appeared in court today.
Maldonado is currently on parole, but his public defender, Jamie Walsh, said he isn't aware of a violation being filed in connection with his arrest and said it's his understanding that Maldonado has been doing well on parole. He asked Balbick to set bail at $5,000 or $10,000 bond.
Robert Zickl, ADA, noted Maldonado does have that felony conviction, plus five misdemeanor convictions and five previous failure to appear charges.
Balbick went along with Zickl's recommendation of bail in the amount of $10,000 cash or $20,000 bond.
A pre-trial hearing, also known as a felony hearing, has been set in Maldonado's case for 11:15 a.m., Thursday.
Broadbent, who waived a felony hearing, isn't due back in court until next month. Balbick did sign a stay away order of protection for her and her children and told her to take up any visitation rights with Family Court.
Zickl noted that the Department of Social Services will be investigating the case.
I was hoping DSS would get
I was hoping DSS would get involved and look into Broadbent's live-in situation for the sake of her poor traumatized children.
With the way children's
With the way children's services handles situations relating to children, Billie, I have no faith they will get involved here and will not hold my breath on it either.
It's sad that her children are in an environment like this and certainly they deserve better.
Hope you post an update about the D.S.S. getting involved or not.
He's a real catch.
He's a real catch.
http://www.thebatavian.com/search/Brandon%20Maldonado
No name calling. No personal
No name calling. No personal attacks. No matter how reprehensible the accusation, the rule applies.
The "poor traumatized
The "poor traumatized children" are TEENAGERS ------- and lived there with Ms. Broadbent and Rocky before Mr. Maldonado moved in.
Oh ok, Amy, that makes it ok
Oh ok, Amy, that makes it ok for Broadbent to tell them to lie to police. Ridiculous.
"The "poor traumatized
"The "poor traumatized children" are TEENAGERS ------- and lived there with Ms. Broadbent and Rocky before Mr. Maldonado moved in."
And this has what to do with the price of beans in China?
So because they are teens, and have been the product of poor child rearing by the mother, and the men in her life, they should be dumped into the system, and give any attempts to change them, as there is no hope for them changing?
Gotchya!