Man speaks out after guilty plea

Tucson,AZ -- For the first time, a Pima County man who pleaded guilty to attempted dogfighting speaks out about his case.

It was one of the top stories of 2008. Six people were arrested in what authorities called a major dogfighting ring and hundreds of Pit Bulls were confiscated. Two suspects face trial in February, two already had their trial and were found innocent and two others, Juan Verdin and his wife Zenaida avoided trial by pleading guilty to lesser charges.

Juan Verdin says he and his wife didn't do it, even though they told a judge they did.

"There was no animal cruelty. There was no dogfighting," says Verdin.

What Verdin says now is opposite of what he and his wife said in court. Juan pleaded guilty to 1 count of attempted dogfighting and was sentenced to 18 months probation. Zenaida Verdin pleaded guilty to 1 count of animal cruelty and got 6 months probation.

"We had no way to fight. We had no way to get fair counsel for the civil charges," says Verdin.

Verdin says he faced both civil and criminal charges. Pima County public defenders handled the criminal charges. But they don't handle civil charges. Plus Verdin says if he hadn't have taken the plea the government would have continued to try to take his house under Rico laws.

"We don't have any way to get legal defense. We're financially destitute at this point," he says.

Verdin claims his wife lost her job because of the highly publicized case. He also says he has received death threats.

"It was an automated woman's voice saying your life is about to expire for what you have done," says Verdin.

Bottom line, Verdin believes his family is the real victim in his case.

"It's basically destroyed our lives," he says.

The county attorney, Lewis Brandes, who prosecuted Verdin has no sympathy.

"Mr. Verdin swore under oath that he was guilty of the offense," says Brandes.

He believes he had plenty of evidence to convict the Verdin during a trail, hence their pleas. And he's not surprised by the death threats.

"There are many chat rooms where dogfighters and people who are interested in it can chat back and forth," says Brandes. "He had talked up about how he was going to fight this to the end. And then when he didn't and pled guilty the other people were extremely angry at him."

Verdin has taken the first steps toward suing Pima County for $2.8 million for the loss of his wife's job and the seizure of 16 dogs. County attorney Brandes responds that anyone can sue. He believes Verdin will have a difficult time winning because he told a judge he was guilty.

http://www.kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=9574052&nav=HMO6HMaW

 

Thanks Marty I couldn't figure out how to paste this ,like I said I am and idiot when it comes to computers!! Merry Christmas ALL!!!

 

Merry Christmas to you to... sorry if you felt I doubted you

 

I worked in criminal defense for years and i can understand completely why people take pleas. The deck is stacked so hard against you. In too many cases the cops are perfectly willing to lie to make the case and the DAs office is more than happy to go to court with what they know is false evidence. They know that juries are made up of scared people who watch too much television and believe what they're told in the news and who will take the cop's word for gospel - even if they've just ranted about being ticketed for speeding when they weren't less than 24 hours earlier.

I would say you can have all the justice you can afford, but that's not true either. No matter how much money you have to spend on your case, the State will outspend you by a huge margin.

Unless Dude gets a really top notch attorney - think in the Gerry Spence league - he doesn't have much chance in civil court, especially after the guilty plea.

 

Thanks Renne like I ve said before my co-defendants though aquitted and found innocent ,the state is still proceeding with the forfeiture of their property's and they have had to post bonds on their property and spend another 10,000$ in civil defense attorney s ,they will win but the state is just punishing them and trying to wreck them finacially ,and ruin everyone involved ,hell I wish I could have gone to trial and show how much they lied espicially in the indictment on me and 100% on my wife she was never even mentioned just got drug in because of bieng married to me!

 

"He believes he had plenty of evidence to convict the Verdin during a trail, hence their pleas. And he's not surprised by the death threats.

'There are many chat rooms where dogfighters and people who are interested in it can chat back and forth,' says Brandes. 'He had talked up about how he was going to fight this to the end. And then when he didn't and pled guilty the other people were extremely angry at him.'"

Cute. So naturally, it's "other dogfighters" threatening him, not any AR whack jobs. :rolleyes:

 

He was threatened LONG before the plea. Annnnd, I love that. If they THOUGHT they could convict why would they bust multiple FELONY charges down to one misdemeanor with ONLY probation? Seems to me if they actually had a case they would have wanted to go to court and win it.

 

I am happy they published your story, Raided. I hope you win your law suit. I am sorry that the "justice" system failed you.

 

I know who has made the threats and as stop BSL pointed out these threats came long before my plea and sentencing ,months before I even reporeted the threats to the Sheriff who basicly threatned me about my kids on the 911 return call from a Pima County Deputy I really wish I could afford to fight all the charges tooth and nail to show what ends these AR's will go to including trying to seperate a family who only has each iother after Granparents dying ,only one parent working and the main provider physically disabled ,and they say we are cruel they are worse than sharks looking for a weak ,down and out victim ,threaten to co-operate and help them or they finish you,your family ,your pets ,your spouses carreer ,if they had so much to convict me then why settle for a plea and not convict me I had no adds for any pups ,breedings ,no artices I wrote ,just a treadmill ,jenny ,and a fisrt aid kit ,I am physically disabled as medicaly documented so I can not walk my animals as I used to in the past and all my medical suplies were over the counter items as anyone who is a responsible owner would have,please any positive coomenst please put on the KVOA blog board ,also the reporter never adressed the HSUS as I really tried to discredit through facts nor the illegal interview the HSUS conducted on my 4 minor chidren without any gaurdianship or legal council.

 

Wow it gets better after talking to a few attorneys for a 30 mins free consulatation they all told me the same thing " how do you plea to a misamenaor" ,oh well just food for thought

 

RAIDED , I know I doubted you , my fault carnal . I typed without considering the impt. stuff, I hope all will be well as you and the famila are affected as well as we are.

Cutt

 

as one of my old friend told me way before I met the Patricks ,trust no-one in the game and you know what after Patricks and I fell out we are stll true friends and I hope the best for his health as he is in dire straits and need sour prayers as he is one of the main forces behind the AADR registry bign what it has come to be !