September 16, 2008
Cat Killer Continues to Use Victim Defense
Last year, 205-pound Joseph Petcka was accused of killing his girlfriend's cat in a jealous rage. He faces charges of aggravated cruelty to animals and harassment (of his then girlfriend). Petcka left her apartment, allegedly yelling, "You love that cat more than you love me," but returned to confront 7-pound domestic cat Norman. The cat's body was later discovered with "a broken leg, three broken ribs, broken teeth, and a lacerated tongue. " It was later revealed that Petcka told the ASPCA that Norman bit him so he swiped the cat away. Today, his trial began, and Petcka's lawyer told the Post, "My client reacted to the attack of a cat, which under the law is allowable."
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Nobody's going to buy that, not even cat haters.
What a douche.
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Wow. You can actually get a lawyer who will defend 205-pound man against an attack from a 7-pound domestic cat?!? That is obviously the peak of an anti-adorable-creatures-lawyers career.
Go that lawyer.
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Of course she loved the cat more than him. The cat was sweet and cuddly and this guy is a deranged psychopath.
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If that isn't Norman pictured above, I take it that's a FileCat?
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People for the Ethical Treatment of Cat-Killing Assholes (PETCKA).
He returned to "confront" the cat? What was he going to do, discuss their relationship? I can't believe a lawyer managed to get that stuff out with a straight-face. He obviously came back to rough up the cat, the cat bit him, so he killed it.
Douches are insulted to be called this guy.
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"Wow. You can actually get a lawyer who will defend 205-pound man against an attack from a 7-pound domestic cat?!"
Reminds me of the young woman who asked her doctor if it was possible to become pregnant through anal sex. "Of course", said the doctor. "Where do you think defense lawyers come from?"
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Lawyers sure have gone downhill in recent years. And they never started very high to begin with. "My client reacted to the attack of a cat, which under the law is allowable." Sure, and Patrick Pogan was reacting to the Christopher Long's vicious attempt to run him down. This is almost as bad as Wayne Simoes' lawyer claiming we can't know that Simoes had any intent to injure Irma Marquez when he used a technique one would expect from WWE wrestlers, not cops.
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It pains me to read that list of injuries this poor kitty had.
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"My client reacted to the attack of a cat, which under the law is allowable."
Your client should have his testicles crushed, which under the law is not allowable but who gives a f*ck."
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Does anyone want this guy in society? Give him the Death Penalty.
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Yes, domestic housecats so often bite others for no reason....
why do I never get put on these types of cases on jury duty?
poor kitty :(
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The lawyer has some major balls in saying that.
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There are days where I absolutely love and salute the Gothamist commenters. This is one of them.
Drinks all around.
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The lawyer is just doing his job. If the guy wants to use a ridiculous and laughable defense, that's his right.
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This cat killer is truly despicable, but it surprises that most comments are about his lawyer. This schmuck is entitled to a defense regardless of how ridiculous it may be.
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A fitting punishment for this abysmal piece of shit would be a syringe full of concentrated toxoplasmosis coupled with an immunosuppressant. Let him suffer and die from a common feline parasite.
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Ok, this dude is a cruel douche bag, but it's a freakin' cat for crissakes! Put away the pitchforks and torches.
The posts for slain children are less sympathetic.
signed,
another cat owner
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The lawyer is probably a public defender and was assigned the case. Or, he's one of the goofballs with the lame ads that promise to SUE SUE SUE.
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From: CrimDefend@aol.com
To: kelanen@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: Joe Petcka
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 17:58:52 EDT
Kelly
I am amazed that you would find the time for a silly diatribe like this but
I guess people have excess time on their hands.
It might make you feel better to move to a place where people are guilty
until proven innocent and have no right to a lawyer since that scenario seems to
comport with your views much more than the way in which the justice system
works here.
As for me I sleep very well knowing that I devote my life to the defense of
justice and am sure that payback will reward me and the rewards garnered by
people like you will be commensurate with both your intolerance and lack of
intelligence
Be well and read the constitution (although for you it is probably a horror
story)
CHARLES S. HOCHBAUM
CRIMDEFEND @ AOL.COM
16 Court Street
Brooklyn, NY 11241
(71 855-4800
fax 855-4877
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CHARLES S. HOCHBAUM
CRIMDEFEND @ AOL.COM
16 Court Street
Brooklyn, NY 11241
(71 855-4800
fax 855-4877
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@felixhoenikkfer,
I feel sorry for you cat to be with such an empathic person. This man bruatlize this cat. Poor cat die in massive pain. I hope this man gets butt rape in jail.
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Felixthecat- don't worry. There are plenty of animal lovers in prison who will see that this douchebag gets his just rewards.
"The lawyer is just doing his job. If the guy wants to use a ridiculous and laughable defense, that's his right."
Wouldn't you just love to hear the judge say:"If you intend to waste the court's time with that kind of a defense I'll throw YOUR ass in jail, let alone your client's!
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CHARLES S. HOCHBAUM:
I agree that everyone has the right to an attorney, but that doesn't mean that you have to defend everyone... especially when you know that they're scum. At that point, don't give me the high- falutin' talk about honor & the Constitution, because then you are only a mercenary looking for a payday. THAT is the main reason that so many people despise the profession: talk of honor & duty when defending a monster, when the reality is simply the love of money.
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The lawyer is just doing his job. If the guy wants to use a ridiculous and laughable defense, that's his right.
Then the lawyer is no smarter than the client. This should never have gone to trial. A smart lawyer would have advised him to plea bargain. Pet-caca, uh, Petcka is going to lose and he's going to look like a jackass in the process. But this lawyer doesn't care. He's billing for court time so he can run up is bill, and he'll have to be paid regardless of whether he wins or loses the case.
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what a fruitcake- not only did he brutally kill this poor animal, his atty has the audacity to claim celebrity sensationlism as a reason for the proposed punishment- how telling of this individual. here's a news flash, nobody knows who you are dude & you are living in your own ego inflated little world. bottom line, you are an egotistical vicious animal killer who deserves the maximum punishment. not just b/c of the severity of the suffering of this poor animal & his ability to inflict such harm- but b/c of his lack of accountability & his choosing to see himself as the victim. it almost seems like he feels justified- SCARY. he totally will do it again, and i believe he would harm a human in this manner as well. he needs to go down, an ego reality check & some mental health assistance.
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Sick. They should put him in a cell with Michael Vick and make the two fight it out every day. And the girlfriend never should have let the relationship get this far. He spent 12 hour stretches alone in her apartment, the leech. What was she thinking? She should have demanded he leave his key after the drunken threat about the microwave. If he came knocking ever again she could have taken a cue from what Maria (from the "SATC" episode the scumbag was in) screamed at him: "Get away from the door M----- F----- or I'll call the police!"
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I think this is a waste of tax payers money and it should never have gone to trial. He should be sentenced to work in an animal shelter for a total of 100 communities hours, pay the owner a price for her terrible loss and if she wants a new kitty he should have to buy it.
I actually dislike cats a lot but if it were a dog, I would say the same thing.