Las Vegas Cock-Fighting Ring Busted
On Sunday authorities rescued about three hundred roosters in Las Vegas near Lamb and Lake Mead as part of a major cockfighting bust. Las Vegas Metro believes that the roosters were being bred and trained for fighting. Unfortunately, as Las Vegas criminal defense attorney Michael Becker predicts, the birds will probably be put down because they’re so aggressive.
Director of Lied Animal Shelter Operations Jason Smith explains how cock-fighting is often linked to other crimes as well: "We get a blood-sport like that... there's money changing hands, you're almost guaranteed to have armed robbers, rapists, murderers, felons, drug dealers. That's the entertainment they like to view on a Friday or Saturday night."
A first offense for organizing cock-fighting is a gross misdemeanor, punishable by a year in jail. Las Vegas criminal defense attorney Michael Becker points out, though, that organizing dog-fighting is an automatic felony, carrying up to four years in prison. A first offense for merely witnessing animal-fighting is just a misdemeanor, punishable by six months in jail. (NRS 574.070)
