- Florida, USA -
NorthEscambia.com reports that 38-year-old CRYSTAL MARIE HOUK (pictured below), “is now serving jail time after partially winning an appeal.”
HOUK is serving 30 days in the Escambia County Jail for the death of her dog Gracie Mae.
After jail time, HOUK will also face 36 months probation.
In March 2021, HOUK was convicted of aggravated animal cruelty and animal cruelty and remained out of jail while she appealed.
On appeal, HOUKS’ attorney “argued that convictions and sentences for both animal cruelty and aggravated animal cruelty amounted to double jeopardy”, reports NorthEscambia.com
Unfortunately, the Florida First District Court of Appeal agreed that the dual convictions violate the constitutional prohibition against double jeopardy.
At that point the appeals court reversed the lessor conviction of animal cruelty and affirmed the greater conviction of aggravated animal cruelty.
So, once again no justice for the victim!
A female Pitbull mix was found dead locked inside a vehicle in a Walmart parking lot in Pensacola.
The dog’s guardian, CRYSTAL MARIE HOUK, returned to her Toyota Camry on Thursday, August 22, to discover the body of the poor furbaby after she had been shopping.
She told deputies she left the air conditioning on, however, when a Walmart employee opened a car door, hot air was blowing.
A surveillance camera showed that the helpless furbaby was left in the car for about three hours even though HOUK told deputies she hadn’t been away long.
The moment she discovered her dog lifeless in the vehicle, has been captured by a witness, Sheila Anderson Kenney on her cell phone.
An animal control officer later testified that Gracie Mae died of a heat stroke, and that she suffered.
The furbaby’s internal temperature was so elevated that the thermometer displayed a reading of “H,” indicating a temperature above 109.9 degrees Fahrenheit.
HOUK was arrested, charged with one count of animal cruelty, and bonded out of jail.
She is scheduled to appear in court September 12.
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