Book Author Avoids Prison in Serious Dog Bite Case

A book author and former newspaper editor faced serious felony criminal negligence charges (Penal Code 399) after his large dog attacked a child, causing facial and neck injuries. The dog had previously shown aggressive behavior toward children.

Given the severity of the injuries and the dog’s history, prosecutors pushed strongly for prison time. However, after extensive legal proceedings, we successfully persuaded the judge to impose a more lenient sentence of probation and house arrest instead of incarceration. (Click here to read Press Enterprise news article about the case)