An animal cruelty conviction for beating and killing an intimate partner’s dog can qualify for a domestic violence designation under Washington law, the Washington Supreme Court has ruled.
The state supreme court ruled Feb. 17 in a case against Charmarke Abdi-Issa, who was accused of beating and killing his girlfriend’s dog, Mona.
When a case has a domestic violence designation in Washington, it receives priority scheduling and can result in a pretrial no-contact order. Judges can also impose specialized no-contact orders at sentencing that can constitute a separate crime if there is a violation.
