Hawaii attorney scoffs at animal cruelty charge for client who beat peacock with baseball bat

HONOLULU — The attorney for a Hawaii woman who bludgeoned a peacock to death says his client shouldn't be on trial on animal cruelty charges because peafowl are pests and the state doesn't require a permit to kill them.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports Earle Partington told jurors in opening statements Wednesday that the case against Susan Maloney is "ridiculous."

Maloney has said she killed the bird on May 17, 2009, because she was tired of its constant squawking outside her condominium complex.

Maloney is charged with second-degree cruelty to animals. The crime is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine.

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-- Associated Press

Comments

[Andy]

Peafowl have been in Hawaii since 1860 so she should move to another island where they don't have peafowl.

[Lisa]

I hope she is punished severely for her actions.

[Kathleen Rodriguez]

I think it's ridiculous that the attorney believes that she shouldn't be put on trial for that. She killed an animal, it's an offense and should be punished. Animals are more to people than just and animal, they are people too. If she doesn't like the noise that the animal makes then move, don't kill it. How would she like it if she was making noise and someone killed her? Yeah she wouldn't like that very much would she? So don't do something to someone else(referring to the animal) if you wouldn't want it done for you.