Minn. judge won't dismiss animal cruelty charge
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A judge has denied a motion to dismiss a felony animal cruelty charge against a Rochester man in his dog's death last spring.
Fifty-eight-year-old Kirk Edward Rucker is accused of leaving his dog in a car for several hours on May 22. The outside temperature was 80 degrees.
Rucker's attorney, David Jones, argued that there was insufficient evidence that Rucker acted intentionally.
The defense submitted a report from the University of Minnesota veterinary lab that said the cause of the dog's death was not apparent.
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But Judge Debra Jacobson said that police reports establish sufficient evidence for a jury to find that Rucker's conduct was intentional and the cause of the dog's death.
The Post-Bulletin reports a plea hearing is scheduled for Jan. 14.
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Information from: Rochester Post-Bulletin
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