Gothamist: DA: Cat Killer "An Angry, Jealous, Drunken Bully"

Jerky

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:59:34 -0500

>I don't think Norman had a good chance of killing Petcka If it was an NYPD officer, I'm sure they would contest that. Or maybe the cat was riding a bicycle, coming directly at Petcka!!

Spiritof76

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:44:43 -0500

[24] You're arguing semantics. Lawyers are also supposed to advise their clients of the best course of action. Hochbaum apparently hasn't convinced Petcka that it would have been far more effective to show remorse, promise restitution and throw himself on the mercy of the court. Instead, they'll go through a trial where, win or lose, Petcka will be notorious worldwide (thanks to the Web) as a cat killer. And if he loses, it's even worse. Two years in prison. I can imagine it now: Hey, what'd you do to get in here? "I beat the crap out of a cat." Yeah, he'll do great in prison. Besides, the self-defense strategy is awful. Self-defense does not allow unlimited force. You're only allowed to use as much force as you need to defend yourself. If a scrawny kid takes a swing at you and you shoot him dead, you're in trouble. You can't use deadly force unless your life is threatened. I don't think Norman had a good chance of killing Petcka.

qwerty

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:54:59 -0500

This one's just for you, handsomedevil. Petcka's lawyer: CHARLES S. HOCHBAUM CRIMDEFEND @ AOL.COM 16 Court Street Brooklyn, NY 11241 (71 855-4800 fax 855-4877

Barbj8

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:22:39 -0500

Thing is...studies show that assholes who torture and kill animals can easily 'graduate' to assholes who torture and kill humans. if the girlfriend had stayed in the apartment, she may have been his first victim.

Politburo

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:56:13 -0500

"Like I wrote before, a competent lawyer would have quietly plea bargained, not allowed his client to go on trial like this. " Lawyers don't "allow" their clients to do anything. They represent their clients. If this fuckup wants to claim self-defense, the lawyer has an ethical mandate to advance that claim. From the ABA's model rules:a lawyer shall abide by a client's decisions concerning the objectives of representation and, as required by Rule 1.4, shall consult with the client as to the means by which they are to be pursued.

Spiritof76

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:05:08 -0500

What is with the "Former Mets Prospect" fact? It's probably to show that he is or at least was athletic, not just a fat 205-pound man. So it's even more of a mismatch, as if man vs. cat wasn't already bad enough. To me, it shows that he wanted to be a pro baseball player, but he wasn't good enough. He wanted to be an actor, but he wasn't good enough. And he wanted to be loved, but he wasn't good enough. Now he's going to be a laughingstock and maybe even in prison. For that, he's finally good enough. Kudos to his lawyer giving him hope that not only can he get off, he won't be a pariah after the trial. How silly is it to claim Petcka is such a wimp that he can't handle a little cat bite without going postal, even assuming he didn't provoke it? Quite a few people are bitten by vicious or feral cats. None of them kill cats.

ttaylor

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:59:49 -0500

It is truly sad when a human being in this day and age has to be so cruel to a defenseless animal. Regardless of whether the cat bit him or not, he should have simply called animal control, he did not have to kill the defenseless little thing. From the reporting in the media, it appears to me that this was entriely Petcka's fault. He was a raging drunk and deliberately harmed and innocent animal. There is no excuse for his behavior. I wonder if he would have been so quick to violence had someone his own size hissed at him -- I somehow doubt it. He is merely a coward. That little animal suffered a gruesome death at the hands of a drunken, abusive bully. That is equivalent to beating a child. Did that make him feel like a man? I don't think he possesses the intelligence to know. May God have mercy on this bastard -- I certainly have none -- I hope he burns.

handsomedevil

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:35:33 -0500

You can opine about it all you want, and I don't have a problem with Gothamist publishing the lawyer's name, but contacting the guy directly is harassment and publishing his response is pathetic.

Spiritof76

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:15:35 -0500

Uh, first of all, the lawyer is identified by name in newspaper articles, but for some reason, Gothamist decides to just call him "Petcka's lawyer." Second, yes, if a lawyer does a piss-poor job like this one, then I see no reason not to call him on the carpet on it. Like I wrote before, a competent lawyer would have quietly plea bargained, not allowed his client to go on trial like this. It's nothing but public humiliation for Petcka, but it's more money for the attorney, who gets to bill for his time in the courtroom and gets paid regardless of whether he wins or loses the case.

spiritross

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:11:04 -0500

My thom would devour him What is with the "Former Mets Prospect" fact?

resa

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:09:40 -0500

For crying out loud, you're going after the guy's lawyer for doing his job? I hope that you never need a defense lawyer. Loser.

felixthecat

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:06:35 -0500

@handsomedevil, why are you making assumptions? This email was already posted on the web and it was not directed at me. Anyhow the attorney is on record and his address and phone number is listed public. Don't worry about the lawyer he can take care of himself

handsomedevil

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:57:16 -0500

@felixthecat I think it's unethical of you to publish that email from Petcka's lawyer (including all the contact info.) In general, an email sent to you is intended FOR YOU, not for public scrutiny. Sure, it's easy to just zap it to anybody you want, but that doesn't mean you should. Politburo (& Hochbaum himself) are right - the guy's just doing his job. He must know that this argument is unlikely to prevail. The fact that you (apparently) bothered to harass this guy and publish his (correct) response reflects poorly on you.

JRod5417

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:32:32 -0500

Self-defense is the only possible defense this d*uche has as ridiculous as it seems. Anyway, this guy sounds seriously disturbed and scary. If I woke up in the middle of the night with someone calling my dog's name and grabbing me by the neck, I would run out the door with my pet.

Politburo

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:23:03 -0500

"You should identify Petcka's lawyer by name rather than just "Petcka's lawyer." The man deserves to be publicly shamed for his ridiculous defense strategy." No, he doesn't. He's a lawyer doing his job. If his client wants to claim self-defense against a cat, that's his right.

Pull My Finger

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 06:38:53 -0500

What a sick fuck.

Spiritof76

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 01:23:50 -0500

You should identify Petcka's lawyer by name rather than just "Petcka's lawyer." The man deserves to be publicly shamed for his ridiculous defense strategy. The penalty for biting someone is death? The question is why Altobelli stayed with this loser for six weeks when all he did was hang around her apartment and/or get drunk while she was at work. Is that the kind of guy you can envision having any kind of a future with? Then again, I don't really trust her judgement to begin with. If Norman was as gentle as she says, why did she put him through the inhumane procedure of declawing? I guess they'll find out if Petcka's any good as an actor when he takes the stand.

NannyState

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:15:15 -0500

Put him in a cage with a litterbox.

theresa

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:12:16 -0500

The way the first sentence is written, it sounds like the dude killed the DA's girlfriend's cat: "A prosecutor from the Mahattan DA's office called a man who killed his girlfriend's cat "an angry, jealous, drunken bully" during during opening arguments."

felixthecat

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 22:14:59 -0500

I hope gets gets butt rape in jail

brooklyngeorge

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:57:49 -0500

GREAT, now we can add "Does Joseph Petcka regularly visit home?" to Cat Adoption Home Visit Checklist, along with, "Would a mildly curious cat be able to get out?" and "Do the applicants seem to understand the 'in-your-face' nature of some cats?"

Ronkonkoma Ondinnonk

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:15:36 -0500

Wotta fuckup. I hope everyone he meets from this moment on calls him Petco so he can never live it down.

contro

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:42:46 -0500

protect your cats Jen Chung!

chelcc

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:00:24 -0500

what a monster. I hope he never has sex again unless it's against his will.

fakenewyorker

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:55:40 -0500

scum. rats hate cats.

Bouncing Soul

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:31:28 -0500

Picking on a defenseless animal is disgusting. There should be capital punishment for animal cruelty.