Kentucky Guilty plea in animal cruelty case

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- The one-time Pike County deputy Judge-Executive has pleaded guilty to 125 counts of second-degree cruelty to animals and will serve 500 hours of community service at the Pike County Animal Shelter. A judge also ordered a psychiatric evaluation for Randal Good, who entered the plea Thursday. The charges stemmed from a raid of his property in Phyllis in November in which officials seized more than 100 animals, mostly small dogs. The plea agreement requires Good to serve a one-year sentence, probated for two years. Pike County Humane Society member Bonita Rose told The Appalachian News-Express that Good was running a "puppy mill." Rose said Good is "not mentally ill, he's greedy." "If he thinks he can get away with it, he will," Rose said. Chief Assistant County Attorney Tommy Chamberlin, who drafted the plea agreement, said it was the best option under Kentucky's current animal cruelty laws. Chamberlin said following the hearing that the plea agreement sought the stiffest penalties which could be imposed by a district court. Although they did not include jail time, he said, the provisions of the plea agreement constituted the maximum punishment which could be levied upon Good without the case going to trial. "All parties' knee jerk reaction was seeking a jail sentence," Chamberlin said. "In situations like this, we need to sit down and consider all the options." Good was also found guilty of animal cruelty charges in 2004. Published: Mon, Mar 5, 2012