JUSTICE FINALLY COMING FOR MIAMI HORSE SLAUGHTERERS
MY REPORT FROM THE COURTROOM ON PRE-TRIAL HEARING

MIAMI – It was hot and humid in Miami on Monday, August 23, 2010. It was even hotter and more humid in the Courtroom of Miami-Dade Judge Sara Zabel. It was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with horse owners, people whose horses were slaughtered, and outraged animal-lovers. Some people were having to sit on each other’s laps.

Just before Judge Sara Zabel called the case of Miami’s two most notorious horse slaughterers, Luis Cordero and Santiago Cabrera, the attorney for one of the defendants mysteriously rushed out of the courtroom. Thus, when Judge Zabel called the case, the attorney was not there and the hearing was delayed for hours until he came back in.

At the last minute, the defendants waived their right to appear before the Judge, so we did not have the opportunity to see them or for them to face us. Also at the last minute, defendant Cordero’s attorney presented the State’s Attorney and the Judge with a psychological profile, arguing his extreme youth (he had been only 18 at the time of his offense). Since neither the judge nor the State’s Attorney had had time to review the document, the pre-trial hearing was postponed until September 7th. The defendants are 19 and 20 years old now. Yes, that’s young… but they are legally old enough to be held responsible for their heinous criminal actions.

As probably the only person in the courtroom who actually saw the slaughtered remains of the poor horses Linda and King Quizi, I was sick at heart and in mind, body and soul. The only thing that kept me upright was the support and love of the horse people who were there with me. In the case of the mare Linda, I saw her four-month-old foal still trying to nurse on his mother’s dead, burned body. In the case of King Quizi, I met his owners. It’s very sad to see grown men cry, but that’s what I saw. I also saw a 10 year old little girl who had come to the ranch with her mother to feed her own horse before school started. It’s even harder to see a little child cry. The shock this child must have felt when she saw King Quizi’s bloody, dismembered and eviscerated body will remain with her for the rest of her life. Let’s remember that these are crimes not just against the horses themselves, but against the people who love them.

Hundreds of your letters were mailed directly to the Judge, and Ivonne Rodriguez hand-delivered another 166 e-mailed letters through the State’s Attorney’s office. You will recognize the name: Ivonne was the owner of Geronimo, the beautiful bay and white Paint gelding who was tied to a palm tree in February 2009 and killed for his meat. Handed to the Judge during the proceedings, all of the letters were entered into evidence. The defendant’s attorney made a motion to seal all Court records from the public and the media… but there will no doubt be attempts made by the media to overrule that. TV and print media were present, did interviews, took pictures and seemed genuinely interested in presenting the public with a refreshed awareness of the crimes which still occur even as we speak.

The next hearing for these two baby-faced criminals is scheduled for September 7th. I’ll be there and so will a lot of others who will not be silenced until real justice is had for these two horses and the dozens of other horses who have been killed in our community.

There is still a plea deal on the table: five years in a Florida state penitentiary and some form of probation. The defendants’ attorneys had refused this deal a few weeks ago, but now may be reconsidering. To me and most of those present, this is not nearly enough punishment for the hideous crimes these two young men committed. I also want them to give up the names of the two other men with whom they worked to slaughter the horses, so they too can be brought to justice.

My message to those who would harm our precious horses is “Those who would slaughter our horses, and those who would buy, sell and eat horsemeat, stay away from our horses in Florida. We are speaking out for them, we are protecting them and watching out for them. And we will see that justice is served!”

Thank you to all who took time from their busy lives to be in the courtroom and thank you to the hundreds of you who sent heartfelt letters to the Judge.

Our nightmare in South Florida is unfortunately not over yet. The last horse that I know of was slaughtered just a few weeks ago. But maybe a message will be sent to the community of horse slaughterers and horse eaters in South Florida – you and your odious practices are not welcome here!

Sincerely,

Jeanette

Jeanette Jordan, President
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty  to Animals
www.helpthehorses.org