Cover Stories Fall 2002

Grand Jury to Hear Robert Rhodes Case

Foley, Alabama: A preliminary hearing for Robert Rhodes was held July 31 in Baldwin County District Court. Rhodes, who was arrested in May and charged with felony animal abuse, admitted to killing thousands of greyhounds on his coastal Lillian property. Rhodes told investigators and reporters that the dogs came from Pensacola Greyhound Track and other Florida dog tracks. The dis-covery of the killing field drew national media attention.

Rhodes, 68, faces three counts of first-degree cruelty to animals under Alabama's Gucci law, named for a Mobile County dog that was tortured in 1996. The felony carries a possible prison term of one to 10 years. The Gucci statute does not define torture in detail, leaving room for interpretation.

Julian "Buddy" Bracken, Rhodes defense attorney, asked District Court Judge Jody Bishop to dismiss the charges, arguing that prosecutors failed to prove the animals suffered. Bracken said the state must show the animals experienced pain. Bracken argued that David Campbell, the veterinarian who field-necropsied four exhumed greyhounds on Rhodes's property May 21, had revised his opinion.

Initially, Campbell had determined that three of the greyhounds did not receive clean shots through the brain and probably suffered for 20 to 30 seconds before dying. But after consulting with his mentor, a retired Auburn University professor, Campbell revised his earlier opinion, stating, "Since these dogs were shot through the brain stem, they would have been unconscious immediately and likely didn't suffer even if they had lived for a few seconds more."

Prosecutor David Whetstone, the Baldwin County District Attorney, countered that the manner of execution - a blast from a .22-caliber rifle at close range - violates community standards. Whetstone said Roger Clemmons, a veterinary professor at the University of Florida, had examined diagrams of the dogs and concluded they probably did suffer.

Baldwin County District Judge Jody Bishop concluded the hearing by ruling that the state has enough evidence to present to a grand jury, which will determine whether prosecutors can pursue animal torture charges against Rhodes.

Sources: Mobile Register: Brendan Kirby The Associated Press