I finally received notice of my court date for the citation I received for allowing my dog to be off his leash at Baltimore’s Riverside Park way back in May.

The notice came in the mail on Sept. 10, and it informed me that my hearing would be held … Sept. 10.

I was unable to appear for two reasons – I opened the letter six hours after the 9:30 a.m. hearing took place, and I’m in Montana.

The city’s Environmental Control Board sent the notice on Aug. 22, and it obviously took some time to get forwarded all the way here.

The notice said that if I failed to appear at the hearing, a “Default Judgement” would be entered against me, and the penalty imposed would be three times the original $100 fine I was hit with for letting Ace off his leash (in full view of the undercover police officer who was helping animal control officers during the sweep).

Moe than a dozen of us lawbreakers were nabbed. I had requested the hearing a few months ago – not because I was innocent, but because I disagreed with the law that requires all dogs to be leashed at all times at the park, and because I had hoped to skirt the fine, or at least get it reduced. I didn’t realize paying three times as much was a possible outcome.

Fearing the worst, I called the board as soon as I opened the letter. I wasn’t put on hold, I wasn’t bounced around to 12 different people. I was simply told that the citation had been dismissed and I would be receiving notice of that in the mail.

Relieved, I asked why. “No file was provided (to the board) from the agency that wrote the citation,” I was told.

So, even though I didn’t show up for the hearing, the citation was dismissed because animal control officers apparently didn’t, either – or at least didn’t supply the board with the necessary information. I don’t know if that outcome qualifies as justice, or just lazy, but I'll take it.