Target: Todd Gardenhire, Chair of Tennessee Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Goal: End unjust grand jury process that seemingly favors criminals over both human and non-human crime victims.
National Pet Day is a celebration of the animals that become beloved members of families, but it’s also a stark reminder of the millions of unwanted animals that become victims of abuse, neglect, or abandonment. The latter, an often underreported and forgotten offense, allegedly played out to a tragic end in Tennessee. A tote was discovered near a bridge. Inside this bag, which had apparently been tossed from the bridge, were six puppies. Only one was alive. It is believed the young pups may have met their grim fate on Christmas Day.
A 24-year-old suspect, Tyler Underwood, was eventually apprehended and could have been charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty. The suspect also apparently faced accusations of theft and probation violation. Despite these alleged crimes, this suspect will not only be free from any potential punishment. He will not even have a trial.
Underwood was not indicted by a Tennessee grand jury, which sets a notoriously high bar for indictments. In the majority of states, a grand jury is not even needed to bring formal criminal charges. And in the states where the grand jury process is required, most set the bar for indictment at a majority. In Tennessee’s case, however, if only two of the 13 jurors dissent then the charges will not move forward. As a result, Underwood, like so many other potential defendants—especially in low-priority cases like animal cruelty—never has to answer for the offenses of which he is accused.
Sign the petition below to demand this state’s lawmakers amend a process that works against victims and survivors of violent crimes.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Senator Gardenhire,
“A grand jury would indict a ham sandwich.” Tennessee proves that not all old adages have a ring of truth. Recently, two dissenters in a Morgan County grand jury spared a man accused of throwing weeks-old puppies off a bridge to their deaths from criminal charges. The man in question is also reportedly under investigation for other crimes, but now he is apparently free and in the clear.
Why is the bar set higher in this state for victims and survivors to get justice than almost anywhere else in the country? The grand jury process does not end with a conviction or a sentence. It is a formal bringing of charges. The standards for an indictment are therefore much less rigorous than the unanimous consent required for a traditional jury…except in Tennessee, where two dissenters (just like in the aforementioned case) can grind the wheels of justice to a halt.
Please reevaluate and revise this defective portion of Tennessee’s criminal system so that the scales of justice are truly balanced for all.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Sergio Souza
Pressure the DA so that this POS goes to trial and gets his punishment. His punishment will not be enough but it is a weak start!
I GIVE TO ANIMAL LEGAL DEFENSE FUND every month. Words do nothing. Money talks.
The scumbag POS that did this should go to prison and tell the inmates what this filth did to those poor babies. I guarantee you this useless shitter will end up drowned to death in a toilet, toot sweet, or shanked until he bleeds out.
Hey Tyler Underwood, how about a gang of us beat you shitless, dismember you alive, and then throw you and your parts off a bridge to your death down to hell?! I know would still sleep well at night knowing your POS ass is no longer breathing to never do this again! We need justice for these puppies and all animals that suffer at the hands of worthless humans everyday.
I agree !!!
Count me in!
I’m sure with you on this one brother!
This bastard has got to receive a very severe lesson.
Either crippled for the rest of his useless life or better still terminated painfully.
The pathetic bloody law does nothing as they are only animals so does not matter. Tossers all of them. They are just as bad as the fucking ‘perp’ and need a good Sound beating for them to see the error of their ways.
In the meantime as these waste of space Jury’s will do nothing then we, as animal protectorates really must do something to show other similar bastards what happens when they are confronted with a fired up mob of animal vigilantes.
Power to all of anyone who feels the same! Death by any means to these non- caring arrogant bastard animal tortures and abusers.
This scumbag needs to be taken off the planet
What the hell?? This freak murdered 5 innocent babies! He deserves to spend his worthless life in prison. Tennessee’s justice system is sorely lacking.
No he does not need to spend the rest of his life in prison.
The fucker needs terminating as soon as possible!! Very painfully!!
If you permit this you are as evil as this pos
THESE USELESS WASTE OF SPACE HUMAN BEINGS NEED TO DO TIME.
PEOPLE THAT HURT ANIMALS ARE A USELESS ON THIS EARTH.
Bastard should hang
Post his address and let the animal people take care of him. I know some really high bridges he can be thrown from where he will NOT survive. That would be justice. Piece of shit. he will pick a human next
Yes!!!!
POST EVERTHING FOR THIS POS!! I found the fucking monsters who dumped cat on me after boarding her for money for 3 years. NEVER CALLED OR RELEASED HER MEDICAL RECORDS SO I CAN REHOME THIS CAT I have addresses of every family member on both sides of couple and employers. Employers will be getting letters from me.
Bloody good summing up.
With you all the way.
NOT FIT TO BE AROUND OTHER HUMANS…..THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS WORLD AND WHY IT IS GETTING WORSE!! THERE IS NO WORKING JUSTICE SYSTEM!!!!!
Tennessee’s criminal system is a spineless joke!
Why is animal welfare not stepping in. The DA should prosecute this as animal cruelty to the full extent of the law… or he should lose his job.
Anyone one DA, jury etc not seeing this for what it is …MURDER….A HEINOUS ACT THAT CAN HAVE FUTURE CRIMES…SHOULD ALL BE FLUNG OFF THAT SAME BRIDGE!
YOU ARE ALL VILE TO LET THIS GO WITHOUT
THE MAXIMUM LEGAL CONSEQUENCES.
MAY YOUR HEADS ALL BE ON A PLATTER FOR YOUR TURN WILL COME!
The Tennessean grand jury are as cruel and useless as the perpetrator and deserve to face a horrific ending to their lives
Someone needs to find the higest bridge and throw this CRUEL & ABUSIVE IDIOT Tyler OFF OF THIS BRIDGE WITH JAGGED ROCKS AND BOULDERS FOR HIM LAND ON AND DIE just like he did to those INNOCENT PUPPIES!!! PRISON CELL is TOO GOOD for his sorry ass!!!!
TENNESSEE is Noted for Allowing ANIMAL CRUELTY TO GO ON!!! YOU ARE EVIL EVIL EVIL FOR ALLOWING THIS CRUELTY!!!!!
Get this POS out of society, STOP protecting the human garbage, you ppl do not belong in law enforcement, start doing your JOB that’s what your paid for, PROTECT PPL AND THESE POOR DEFENSELESS ANIMALS against this pure EVIL in the world, we should not have to put up with thus CRAP !!!
What is wrong with this system and this monster?!?! Can guarantee he will do something like this, or worse, again because he enjoyed the thrilled and learned there is absolutely no punishment…..purely disgusting. This planet doesn’t need him.
I’m so sorry for your terrifying final moments sweet babies 💔💔😭😭Enjoy heaven 🌈🙏
This DISPICABLE POS SCUMBAG DESERVES THE SAME AS *IT* DID TO THOSE PRECIOUS SOULS. FIRST THOUGH, IT NEEDS TO BE SLOWLY, HORRIFICALLY TORTURED IN ITS JUNK AREA FOR ABOUT A WEEK, THEN THROWN OFF A BRIDGE OR LEFT TO DIE ANYWHERE IN MISERY. POLITICIANS, LAWMAKERS, JUDICIAL…DO YOUR FUCKING JOBS!!! DEFENSELESS ANIMALS ARE NO DIFFERENT THAN BABIES IN A WOMB YALL FIGHTING SO DAMN HARD FOR!!! YES THAT’S RIGHT, I SAID IT…I’M SCREAMING AT YOU OLD 1776’ERS THAT USED TO BURN DEFENSELESS, INNOCENT WOMEN AND BLACK CATS AT THE STAKE FOR NO GOOD REASON!!! SENTIENT BEINGS DESERVE TO BE TREATED WITH KINDNESS AND COMPASSION SAME AS HUMANS. THOSE WHO ABUSE, TORTURE, NEGLECT THESE DEFENSELESS BEINGS DESERVE TO HAVE THE WORST OF MACHIAVELLIAN TORTURE POUNDED UPON THEM!!! MAKE AN EXAMPLE OF THEM!!! IF ANIMALS COULD TALK THE SHAME WE WOULD AND SHOULD FACE!!! PROSECUTE THIS VILE POS TO THE FULLEST. ONE OF THESE DAYS ANIMAL LOVERS ARE GOING TO RISE UP AND AVENGE THE SUFFERING OF DEFENSELESS ANIMALS…WE’LL DO YOUR FUCKING JOB FOR Y’ALL AND WE’LL DO IT HELLA BETTER. WATCH AND SEE.
Good on you! What you say is really going to happen before much longer.
Normal people are not going to tolerate these arrogant animal abusers and torturers for much longer.
Groups will be formed to take these bastards out no messing. It will not be much longer before we see in the papers that one or the other of these tossers has been found dead, murdered or mutilated .
Then we could say serve the fuckers right. Vigilante justice has prevailed!!
What is wrong with people in Tennessee? This disgusting PoS needs the old-fashioned stocks and ducking in a pond treatment. He should not be excused for his crimes by a pathetically inept so-called justice system.
This act SHOULD NOT go unpunished! Tennessee WAKE UP ! You kick out 2 intelligent representatives but let this POS go free. WTF! This POS needs to be thrown off a bridge! Tennessee is disgusting on so many levels. I am ashamed you are part of the USA!
THANK YOU!! And they do not give a shit about kids. Did not prosecute a pedophile. And did you hear what Mike Moon said? DEFENDED 12 YEAR OLDS FOR GETTING MARRIED!!!
Hang him!