Zachary Scott. Meerdink

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Charge:	Animal Cruelty
Sentence:	2 years
Years Imprisoned:	1.25
Year Crime:	2011
Year Convicted:	2012
Year Cleared:	2013
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Iowa
County or Region of Crime:	Scott
City of Crime:	Davenport
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Zachary Scott Meerdink was wrongly convicted in April 2012 of animal torture for hitting his terrier puppy on the head with a baseball bat on December 20, 2011 after it urinated on the floor of the apartment in Davenport, Iowa he shared with his girlfriend. Meerdink was Meerdink was convicted by a judge after a bench trial and sentenced to two years in prison. Zachary Meerdink appealed on the basis the judge prejudicially erred because he had no "depraved or sadistic intent" as required by Iowa's animal torture law which states: "A person is guilty of animal torture, regardless of whether the person is the owner of the animal, if the person inflicts upon the animal severe physical pain with a depraved or sadistic intent to cause prolonged suffering or death." On July 10, 2013 the Iowa Court of Appeals by a 2-1 majority vote overturned Meerdink's conviction on the basis the prosecution introduced insufficient evidence that he committed animal torture because it hadn't proved beyond a reasonable doubt that he acted with depraved or sadistic intent. The Court ordered dismissal of Meerdink's charges."
Conviction Caused By:	"The judge erred by applying the improper standard for what constitutes "depraved or sadistic intent.""
Innocence Proved By:	"On July 10, 2013 the Iowa Court of Appeals by a 2-1 majority vote overturned Meerdink's conviction on the basis the prosecution introduced insufficient evidence that he committed animal torture because it hadn't proved beyond a reasonable doubt that he acted with depraved or sadistic intent. The Court ordered dismissal of Meerdink's charges."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	30
Age When Released:	32
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"State of Iowa v. Zachary S. Meerdink, No. 3-436/12-0877 (IA Ct. of Appeals, 7-10-2013)"
Information Location 1:	http://www.iowacourts.gov/about_the_courts/court_of_appeals/court_of_appeals_opinions/recent_opinions/20130710/3-436.pdf?search=meerdink#_1
Information Source 2:	"State of Iowa v. Zachary S. Meerdink, No. 3-436/12-0877 (IA Ct. of Appeals, 7-10-2013)"
Information Location 2:	"http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=2193984767156274012&q=Zachary+Meerdink&hl=en&as_sdt=6,48"
Information Source 3:	"Police: Puppy beaten to death with baseball bat, By WQAD News (Davenport, IA), December 20, 2011"
Information Location 3:	http://wqad.com/2011/12/20/police-puppy-beaten-to-death-with-baseball-bat/
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Zachary Scott. Meerdink

Charge:

Animal Cruelty

Sentence:

2 years

Years Imprisoned:

1.25

Year Crime:

2011

Year Convicted:

2012

Year Cleared:

2013

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Iowa

County or Region of Crime:

Scott

City of Crime:

Davenport

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

"The judge erred by applying the improper standard for what constitutes "depraved or sadistic intent.""

Innocence Proved By:

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

30

Age When Released:

32

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"State of Iowa v. Zachary S. Meerdink, No. 3-436/12-0877 (IA Ct. of Appeals, 7-10-2013)"

Information Location 1:

http://www.iowacourts.gov/about_the_courts/court_of_appeals/court_of_appeals_opinions/recent_opinions/20130710/3-436.pdf?search=meerdink#_1

Information Source 2:

"State of Iowa v. Zachary S. Meerdink, No. 3-436/12-0877 (IA Ct. of Appeals, 7-10-2013)"

Information Location 2:

"http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=2193984767156274012&q=Zachary+Meerdink&hl=en&as_sdt=6,48"

Information Source 3:

"Police: Puppy beaten to death with baseball bat, By WQAD News (Davenport, IA), December 20, 2011"

Information Location 3:

http://wqad.com/2011/12/20/police-puppy-beaten-to-death-with-baseball-bat/

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: