A young Winfield man who killed a cat by swinging the animal by its tail until the cat’s head struck the concrete will sit in the county jail for a while.
James A. Bell pled guilty to the felony animal cruelty charge in a plea bargain with the Cowley County Attorney’s Office.The bargain involved a second case in which Bell was charged with possession of marijuana and possession of liquor by a minor, both misdemeanor offenses.
In addition to the guilty plea in the animal cruelty case, Bell pled guilty to possession of liquor by a minor and the prosecutor dismissed the marijuana charge.
Bell was sentenced to one year in the county jail and fined $500 on the animal cruelty conviction. He was sentenced to 30 days in the county jail for the second conviction. The second sentence is to run concurrently with the first. Bell was also fined $200 for the possession conviction.
Probation with a court services officer may be approved by the sentencing judge at a later date, according to court and prosecution records.
The state Division of Motor Vehicles will also be involved in Bell’s punishment. A conviction of possession of liquor by a minor carries an automatic 60 day suspension of a driver’s license. The suspension will not be effective until court records reach the department of motor vehicles and the suspension order is issued by the DMV. That’s when Bell will be notified by the DMV by mail sent to the most recent address on his driver’s license.
People who move but do not change their addresses on their driver’s licenses often do not receive a suspension order in the mail and will find out during a routine traffic stop or other violation that causes authorities to check their license. There is a stiff penalty for driving on a suspended license so court officials recommend drivers make sure the address on their license is current.
