Justice SEVERELY LACKING – One Day Sentence?

Judge gavel, scales of justice, and law books.

In a criminal case seeing severely lacking justice, a hunter has received a one-day jail sentence for poisoning over 20 eagles and hawks.

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William Custis Smith from Virginia sure thought protecting his ducks justified such brutality.

He now faces jail time, a fine, and public scrutiny, but many argue the sentence is a slap on the wrist for such heinous actions.

Earlier this year, federal and state authorities closed a two-year investigation into illegal wildlife killings on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

The investigation was sparked during the 2023-24 waterfowl season after reports of hawks and eagles being poisoned and trapped.

Virginia Conservation Police Master Officer Brian Bratton spearheaded this lengthy probe, which revealed the alarming truth about Smith’s unthinkable actions.

The Chesapeake Bay region has already faced issues with carbofuran poisoning affecting eagles and other wildlife, making Smith’s actions even more concerning.

Smith admitted to using this banned pesticide on fish heads to poison these majestic birds, all in an attempt to protect the ducks he hoped to hunt.

Authorities discovered a “pole trap” on his property along with the remains of a juvenile bald eagle, oriented in a way that suggested carbofuran’s swift effects.

“This particular poison acts so quickly that nine times out of ten when an eagle or hawk eats something, they die with whatever they’re eating still in their claws,” said Officer Bratton.

“They have just a certain look about them, the body posture. Once you’ve seen it once or twice, you can almost tell that’s what to suspect,” he added.

Smith had created a small waterfowl impoundment on his property to attract ducks and, as a devoted duck hunter, he sought to eliminate any threats to his prized waterfowl.

Even though Officer Bratton noted that Smith understood the illegality of his actions, Smith believed the end justified the means.

Such straightforward disregard for federal conservation laws, including the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, hardly seems worthy of just one day in jail.

Carbofuran, the pesticide used by Smith, was banned in its granular form in 1991 and its liquid form in 2009 due to its devastating impact on wildlife.

To date, over a million birds in the United States have been casualties of this poison.

Yet, Smith, fully aware of the danger, openly admitted the use and purpose of his actions.

Although his punishment includes a $9,800 fine, two years of probation, and 50 hours of community service, many believe the judicial system failed to uphold serious conservation laws.

“He was very aware it was illegal, but in his mind, the ends justified the means, because he’s getting rid of the predatory birds to protect the ducks. That many hawks and eagles is pretty significant, so I feel like it’s a win for protecting the resource from further loss,” Officer Bratton commented.

While authorities may consider the resolution of this case a victory for wildlife protection, many conservationists and citizens regard it as insufficient.

The moral and legal standards in protecting such vital species require far more stringent measures. Stories of such offenses call for reinforcing the significance of every life in maintaining fragile ecosystems, even if it means reforming the penalties that follow.