WILMINGTON — The court appearance for Christopher Anthony Simpson, the man charged in the Christmas Day killing of a young puppy named Axel, has been postponed. Demonstrators who turned out for his scheduled court date said they would not be deterred.
The ‘Justice for Axel’ group, founded shortly after the arrest of Simpson by Pender County animal advocate Rosey Milazzo, quickly grew to thousands of members.
Related story: ‘Justice for Axel’ group draws thousands overnight, asks for tougher animal cruelty laws
Milazzo said Thursday’s demonstration was intended to voice the public desire that Simpson face felony charges, not reduced misdemeanor charges.
“We wanted to make sure that Chris (Simpson) … is charged with a felony and does the maximum amount of time,” Milazzo said.
Under the current state laws, Simpson would face a maximum of 39 months. Milazzo said the group is dedicated to getting stricter animal cruelty laws on the books, and to advocate for stricter enforcement of the laws that already exist.
Milazzo added that the group would also appear for the scheduled court date for Keaton Alexander Messina Miller, who is charged in the felony animal cruelty case resulting from the death of a Tennessee Hound named Charlie.
Related story: Men facing animal cruelty charges after injured dog required euthanasia
According to the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, Miller is charged with being directly responsible for severe injuries to Charlie, and for neglecting to get the dog proper medical care. Another man, Joshua Ryan, was also charged with a misdemeanor for neglecting the injury.
By the time Miller brought the dog back to the Sheriff’s animal control facility, the injuries were so severely advanced that a veterinarian was forced to euthanize Charlie. Miller will appear in District Court on the morning of Thursday, Feb. 15, in room 302.
‘We won’t forget’
Milazzo said the group had been told that Simpson’s attorney had requested a continuance and that they believed the case would now go to a Grand Jury, usually reserved for sending serious felony cases to Superior Court.
“We’ll be out here,” Milazzo said. “Even if they postpone it again, we won’t forget. We’ll be here.”
Simpson’s next court date is March 8, however, he is not expected to appear in court on that day.
According to Assistant to the District Attorney Samantha Dooies, Simpson’s appearance on the District court calendar is largely a formality, as the serious felony charges against him are unlikely to be resolved in District Court. Instead, the next step, according to Dooies, is that Simpson’s case will go in front of a Grand Jury. This article will be updated when a Grand Jury date is set.
Send comments and tips to Benjamin Schachtman at [email protected], @pcdben on Twitter, and (910) 538-2001.
