Dog abuse charges dropped against groomer
Two months after Baltimore County police held a news conference (left, in a picture by The Sun's Algerina Perna) and painted a dog groomer as an organizer of dog fights, prosecutors quietly dropped abuse charges in the case.
The woman, 26-year-old Nicole Caruso, still faces drug and theft charges. But the case that damaged her reputation has now been thrown out. A county prosecutor told me that allegations that the dogs fought (based in part on a dug up yard, pictures of injured animals, a treadmill with paw prints, blood on an inside wall and a doggie medical lab) couldn't be supported.
Authorities said they believe the dogs were trained to be aggressive to guard a suspected marijuana den, which Caruso's friend's deny. Caruso and two others were charged with animal abuse, not dog fighting, but the implication from police charging docuemtns and the news conference was clear: police believed there was an organized dog fighting ring at the house on Lange Street in Dundalk.
Caruso's attorney told me the prosecutor's decision proves that county police made bloated claims at their news conference that unfairly tainted his client before trial. I called the county police on Tuesday and was told flatly, "No comment."
Categories: Baltimore County, Breaking news
Comments
Of course, "no comment." The police department employs the full power of the government against a private citizen, calls her names, smears her reputation, and gets away with it because the police are "entitled" to immunity. This is what's wrong with government: unmitigated abuse of power with little, if any, chance of being made to pay. Any PD shouldn't be allowed to do this kind of crap unless the case first is vetted by the State's Attorney, and then only if the State's Attorney concludes that the evidence shows that a reasonable jury might believe it beyond a reasonable doubt. Frankly, what's the difference between what the BCPD has done to Nicole Caruso and what the Durham (N.C.) Police Department and Durham County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Nifong did to Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty, and David Evans?
Posted by: trebort49 | March 10, 2010 6:09 PM
Sure, eliminate all but one of the comments? And leave the one in agreement with the dropped charges?
What can I say...? Racism, bias, prejudice..etc...runs deep. This woman abused her dogs, charges dropped, story pushed to the dark, musky corners of a website. Because only black people get the headlines...in the crime section. Only Michael Vick gets lambasted for his dog fighting crime. For anyone and everyone else? The details are sketchy at best. Worst? A crime goes unpunished that, for someone born with an unfortunate amount of melanin and ghastly African features, would be cause for picket signs, chanting, raving, and a reaffirmation of 2nd class citizenship.
Eh? We didn't eliminate or reject any comments related tot his story. If you know someone whose comments didn't go through, ask them to re-send. As far as "dark, musky corner of the web" comment, this story was posted online as the top story with a picture on the web site through much of the day Wednesday. So, I don't understand either of your concerns. -Justin
Posted by: CSRealist | March 11, 2010 7:53 PM
I guess I should have kept looking before I posted my last post. Glad to know the case was dropped regarding the animals but now she has to contend with the drugs.
So many crazy things always going on in the world.
Posted by: A shocked mobile dog groomer | July 26, 2010 12:31 AM
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Posted by: RobertsonAdrian21 | August 11, 2011 2:14 PM