Man who ran over gosling is sentenced to a year of probation
A man who ran over a gosling in Milan in May, telling police he wasn't going to make an effort to avoid it, was sentenced Wednesday afternoon to a year of probation and ordered to complete 80 hours of community service.
Norman Melvern Stowell, 70, of Milan, pleaded guilty Nov. 7 to a misdemeanor charge of cruelty to animals.
Stowell
Stowell declined to address the court prior to being sentenced by Washtenaw County Circuit Judge Archie Brown.
Stowell's attorney, David Goldstein, argued against a lot of community service for Stowell, saying in court that Stowell has no criminal record, is 70 years old and has health issues.
He has "nothing in his background to indicate he has any problem whatsoever with animals," Goldstein said.
"It was an unfortunate situation I think to some extent got a little bit blown out of proportion," Goldstein said.
Milan police said Stowell was parking his Jeep Compass outside the American Legion on Wabash Street on May 14 when he drove directly over a group of geese as they were walking in some grass. A gosling was found dead 50 feet from where Stowell parked, police said.
When a woman yelled at Stowell he "flipped her off," a police report said. According to the report, he told police that he wasn't going to stop, wait or drive around the geese and it was a waste of tax dollars to prosecute him.
Comments
rob
Sat, Feb 25, 2012 : 4:11 p.m.
I have a woodchuck that digs holes all over my yard. Unless the PC crowd wants to come over and catch it, I will kill it the first chance I get. I would love to see it in my driveway as I'm pulling in the yard.
Sallyxyz
Sat, Feb 25, 2012 : 2:17 a.m.
He should have been required to pay court costs. Sure hope I never encounter this individual, a person with no respect for innocent animals. He has "nothing in his background to indicate he has any problem whatsoever with animals," Goldstein said. If he doesn't have a problem with animals, then he needs to respect them, not intentionally kill them with his car. Sounds like a very angry person. 80 hours of community service is not nearly enough.
Ypsi_Wings_Fan
Fri, Dec 23, 2011 : 11:38 p.m.
Who cares? Hes right, it is a waste of tax dollers to prosecute him (he does sort of seem like a DB though).
Wolf's Bane
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 7:31 p.m.
Stowell is a danger to to foul.
Billy Bob Schwartz
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 5:08 p.m.
The way to reduce the supply of geese is to get the DNR to collect eggs in the spring. I know of a place where this was done, and the geese didn't come back. Cruelty to animals is vicious and unconscionable. If you don't get this, you don't get much.
actionjackson
Tue, Dec 27, 2011 : 1:05 p.m.
Depend on what's deemed cruel.
Dennis
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 4:27 p.m.
Prosecuting this guy was a complete waste of court resources, and monitoring him on probation is an even bigger waste. I honestly can't believe how many people are in support of prosecuting this guy. You people are crazy.
Go Blue
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 3:35 p.m.
Probation? Community service? That's it? His attorney says he has health issues? Couldn't be too bad as it seemed he was in a big hurry to get into the American Legion hall, probably to have a drink? And don't even try to play the age card. Nothing was blown out of proportion, Mr. Stowell clearly has an attitude, a bad attitude.
Dennis
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 4:28 p.m.
Having an attitude isn't illegal.
Ron Granger
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 2:39 p.m.
Let's hope that community service doesn't involve spending time at the VFW where he ran the geese down.
pbehjatnia
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 2:35 p.m.
well he looks like a superb example of manhood. running over birds is really the mark of a man. good for you, dude.
actionjackson
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 3:58 a.m.
If I buy a live turkey, cut off it's head, and dress it will I be afforded the same treatment?
Mike
Sun, Dec 25, 2011 : 2:39 a.m.
If you drive over a live turkey, most likely you will. Apples to apples sir, not apples to oranges.
grimmk
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 3:46 a.m.
I hope his community service is cleaning up goose poop in public parks.
grimmk
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 4:21 a.m.
@ actionjackson - Yeah, he tried that. See where it got him? What if it was baby kittens? Would you still feel the same?
a2citizen
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 4:09 a.m.
He was only given 80 hours. It would take a sentence of 25-30 years to clean up the goose crap in this city.
actionjackson
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 4:01 a.m.
Eliminate the geese and bam, no poop!
Dave66
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 3:33 a.m.
Lots of logical flaws here. 1. If he is serious about not wanting tax dollars spent prosecuting him, he will reimburse the court for all expenses incurred in his case. Right? 2. He has "nothing in his background to indicate he has any problem whatsoever with animals," Goldstein said. Except for running over geese with his car, that is. 3. The dead animal was found on the grass. He wouldn't slow down or go around the geese, but he'd drive on the grass to get them? Yeah, that makes lots of sense.
Ypsi_Wings_Fan
Fri, Dec 23, 2011 : 11:49 p.m.
the way I read it the animal did not die right away and made it to the grass before collapsing.
TommyJ
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 3:23 a.m.
This makes me ill. They should have thrown him in Jackson for a year.
jcj
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 2:16 p.m.
Surely you jest!
actionjackson
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 4 a.m.
Seriously!
Ron Granger
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 2:51 a.m.
Just another angry motorist, with an attitude of entitlement. This one was convicted, but with just a light slap on the wrist.
Robbo
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 1:54 p.m.
Agreed. He should have had to pay all court costs as well, at least.
hut hut
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 2:47 a.m.
Alas, this is what passes for news these days. annarbordotcom milked this story for all it's worth. Six months of coverage. In the old days of print journalism it would have hardly registered.
justcurious
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 12:27 p.m.
Oops! Your obvious disrespect for living things is showing.
joe.blow
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 2:20 a.m.
Should give him an award, those birds are annoying. It would have been much better to shoot it, then fry it up in a pan, that would have been legal.
Mike
Sun, Dec 25, 2011 : 2:37 a.m.
Why should he get an award for driving onto grass and maliciously running over geese?
tinkerbell
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 11:30 p.m.
I have some tire tracks that I'd like you to meet
actionjackson
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 3:59 a.m.
Anyone who has slipped and fallen in goose poop would applaud this guy.
a2citizen
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 2:11 a.m.
"...he told police that ...it was a waste of tax dollars to prosecute him..." Turns out he was right.
Robbo
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 1:49 p.m.
He should have had to pay all court costs. Blatant cruelty to animals is an offense that should always be prosecuted.
Bear
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 2:10 a.m.
Not the kind of human being I would wish to be around or be friends with. No respect for life or others. No self respect either, apparently.
actionjackson
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 4:03 a.m.
I'd like to go over to his place for goose dinner.
RJA
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 1:10 a.m.
I guess under the circumstances the year on probation is OK! Also, at his age, I think him "flipping a lady off" is very dis-respectful. It is what it is!!
nickcarraweigh
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 12:58 a.m.
Community service? What community would want him around?
Billy Bob Schwartz
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 5 p.m.
I hear that Brighton has a real problem with geese poop. Maybe this guy could get a waiver to do some poop scooping in Brighton, even if it's not in his immediate community.
jcj
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 2:14 p.m.
Get real ! Do you complain about all the other types of offenders that are doing community service?
mamabear
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 12:17 p.m.
not ours!
justcurious
Wed, Dec 21, 2011 : 11:45 p.m.
He purposely drives into a group of geese not caring if he kills them and his lawyer says it "got a little blown out of proportion."? I sincerely hope he hates every minute of his community service. Hopefully it will make him think twice before killing again.
DBH
Wed, Dec 21, 2011 : 11:45 p.m.
Assuming the report of his penalties/restitution in this article is complete, I am disappointed he was not ordered to pay all court costs related to this case, in addition to the costs for his attorney.
DBH
Fri, Dec 23, 2011 : 2:53 a.m.
@tinkerbell, at no cost to him?
tinkerbell
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 11:28 p.m.
His attorney was retained