Pooper Scooper Trial: Jury Finds VA Woman Not Guilty
Dog poop has no place in a courtroom. That is, unless your name is Kimberly Zakrzewski, the defendant in Fairfax, Virginia's pooper scooper trial.
Zakrzewski was cited under the county's pooper scooper law in April. Neighbors and longtime nemeses Virginia and Christine Cornell accused her of not picking up after Baxter, a 19-pound Westie-bichon frise mix.
They even photographed the alleged evidence.
County and city laws requiring dog owners to pick up after their furry friends are nothing new. Neither are civil citations under their terms. But this is perhaps the first time such a case has gone to trial.
And it was a weird one.
Kimberly Zakrzewski and the Cornell sisters have feuded for years, reports the Washington Post. There have even been accusations of slashed tires and doormats.
This time, the sisters claim that they heard Zakrzewski say that she left Baxter's poo on condominium grounds to annoy them. They called the police, who then cited her.
Kimberly Zakrzewski fought the citation with the help of Baxter's owner, Michelle Berman. That's right--the Associated Press reports that she merely walks Baxter on Berman's behalf.
While on the stand, lawyers showed Berman a picture of Baxter's alleged waste. Her response?
She had "never seen something that big come out of my little dog." She even had a comparative sample in the car--just in case.
If you think the pooper scooper trial was a horrible use of court resources, then you should do your part to end public waste. The next time you take your dog for a walk, scoop the poop.
Related Resources:
- Kimberly Zakrzewski, Virginia Dogwalker, Found Not Guilty In Pooper Scooper Trial (Huffington Post)
- PetSmart Settles Dog Poop Slip and Fall Case (FindLaw's Injured)
- Mailman Caught Defecating in Yard on Postal Route (FindLaw's Legally Weird)