LIHUE — A Lihue woman was sentenced to a year of probation for dropping a dog off a two-story balcony — a fall that paralyzed and eventually killed the animal. Charlotte Manini, 22, was credited for time served for a
LIHUE — A Lihue woman was sentenced to a year of probation for dropping a dog off a two-story balcony — a fall that paralyzed and eventually killed the animal.
Charlotte Manini, 22, was credited for time served for a misdemeanor cruelty to animals charge Thursday in 5th Circuit Court and ordered to pay $217 in restitution to the victim’s family. She must attend an anger management program and is not allowed to have an animal in her residence for the duration of the probation.
At the time of the Dec. 20, 2010 incident, Manini was reportedly in a relationship with a member of the Voight family of Kalaheo. Manini was attending a party at the Voight residence when she and the Voight family member got in an argument and she left, according to a family member.
Jesse, a 4-year-old Jack Russell terrier purebred owned by the Voights, followed Manini to a nearby residence. At some point, possibly on drugs and in anger directed toward Voight, Manini picked up the dog and dropped the animal from a second-story balcony, according to court testimony.
During the emotional hearing, Manini said she had no recollection of the incident or of killing Jesse. She spoke of volunteering at the Humane Society in the past.
“I can’t remember ever hurting an animal,” Manini said.
Lisa Voight and her daughter Morghan were in court for the sentencing. Morghan said that Jesse survived and her whimpering was heard by a neighbor who thought the dog was struck by a car.
Jesse remained paralyzed and after suffering further skin damage from dragging its hind legs, the family decided to put her down. Still believing that the dog was struck by a car, they called a veterinarian to administer a lethal dose of anesthesia at their home.
“We bathed her in warm water, wrapped her in banana leaves and buried her in the back yard,” Morghan said.
The Voights asked the court to make an example of this case to help ensure that such a act would not happen again. The family learned the reason for the dog’s death after a witness came forward after the purebred had been put down.
“It wasn’t until weeks after Jesse was gone that we learned the truth of what had happened to Jesse,” Morghan said. “It was almost unbearable.”
Chief Judge Randal Valenciano said it was an offensive act and especially difficult for the family to learn about what happened to their dog after it was put down.
“If you have an argument with someone you can’t take it out on a pet,” Valenciano said.
Defense attorney Rosa Flores said that Manini was at the low point of her life, battling a drug addiction in combination with mental health issues when the alleged crime occurred. Since that time, she has excelled in treatment, is doing well in college and is engaged to be married.
Since her arraignment on Aug. 16, 2011, Manini was found unfit to proceed to trial. She was ordered to the care of the Hawaii State Hospital for 62 days, and Valenciano ruled that an additional year and a half of in-residence care be counted as credit for time served.
Manini was declared fit to proceed on June 24. The issue of her fitness at the time of the offense could not be considered because she maintains that she could not remember the incident.
The case could not be dismissed for reason of mental disease or defect and Manini changed her plea to no contest on July 23.
