JUAN DANIELS DENIED PAROLE
The Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles voted 3-0 to deny early release to 23-year-old Juan Daniels of Montgomery, who was sentenced in 2009 to nine years and six months in prison.
From: Koerner, Richard
Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2010 10:32
Subject: Parole Hearing Juan Daniels
I attended the parole hearing for Juan Daniels today along with many other animal advocates. There were people there who came as far as Rhode Island and Boston, Mass., to protest Daniels’ parole bid. Almost three years ago here in Montgomery, Juan Daniels asked to use the family car. Permission was denied and Daniels took out his rage on the family dog, now named Louis Vuitton. Daniels tied the helpless family dog and beat him without mercy with a shovel. Then, he doused him with charcoal lighter fluid and set him on fire. Louis suffered horrific burns and other injuries. It took him months to recover. Louis was at the hearing today and allowed to come into the hearing room. Juan Daniels was charged and convicted of felony animal cruelty and sentenced to nine and one half years in prison. It is the longest sentence for animal cruelty in Alabama. He has served about 18 months. The vet who treated Louis testified along with the Montgomery County District Attorney.
The Board DENIED Juan Daniels’ request for parole. Thousands of letters and petitions from all over the country as well as foreign nations wrote the Board urging denial of the parole. The Board chairman commented that Juan Daniels’ conduct while in prison has been terrible, one violation after another. This monster who inflicted such unimaginable pain upon Louis, a gentle and loving Pit Bull Terrier, will stay in prison where he belongs. Louis now lives with a wonderful family. This case has received nationwide attention and is a big step in the fight to end such heinous acts of violent cruelty to animals.
Today is a good day for animal lovers and advocates.
Richard E. Koerner
Senior Special Agent
Bureau of Special Investigations
Alabama Department of Mental Health
Post Office Box 301410
Montgomery, Alabama 36130-1410
FULL STORY
From Associated Press/Newstimes
By Bob Johnson
A scarred but friendly pit bull named “Louis Vuitton” was the star witness Tuesday as an Alabama state board denied parole for the man convicted of spraying him with lighter fluid, setting him on fire and beating him with a shovel.
After the 8-year-old dog was led into the packed hearing room, the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles voted 3-0 to deny early release to 23-year-old Juan Daniels of Montgomery, who was sentenced in 2009 to nine years and six months in prison, a record in Alabama in an animal cruelty case.
Daniels, whose supporters said he had been sentenced far more harshly than criminals who harm human beings, will be eligible for parole again in July 2012.
The dog stuck his head forward for everyone who wanted to pet him as he entered. He bears burn scars from his head to his wagging tail, including white lines on his brown body where the burning lighter fluid seared his skin.
“You have to see the scars to see what was done to him,” said the dog’s owner, Dee Hartley of Montgomery. She and her husband adopted the dog after the torture incident.
It’s unusual for a dog or other animal to make an appearance before such a panel.
“I don’t recall every having one here before,” said Cynthia Dillard, executive director of the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles.
The September 2007 attack on the dog drew wide notice. The Montgomery Humane Society got as many as 50 calls a day about the case, some from other countries. The dog was given the name of a French fashion brand, “Louis Vuitton,” in honor of a dog named “Gucci,” whose torture case in Mobile in 1994 led to passage of “Gucci’s law,” which made animal cruelty a felony in Alabama.
More than 60 law enforcement officers, animal rights advocates and other supporters of Louis crowded into the hearing. Relatives and friends of Daniels also faced the board and asked that he be released.
Montgomery County District Attorney Ellen Brooks asked parole board members to make Daniels serve his entire sentence because of his cruelty to the dog and the nine disciplinary actions taken against him in prison.
“The first reason to deny parole is to prevent him from hurting another animal or a person,” Brooks said. She said he was accused of torturing the dog, which then belonged to his mother, because he was angry at her for not letting him use the car.
His mother, Vellica Daniels, asked for leniency for her son, so that he could get on with his life.
A cousin, Thomas Hudson, said after the hearing he didn’t think it was fair because Daniels is behind bars with “folks who committed more extensive crimes than he committed.”
Holladay Simmons, the veterinarian who treated Louis immediately after he was burned, told the board the dog’s wounds were as bad as she had ever seen.
Matt Cooper, the county animal cruelty officer who responded to the call, said after the hearing, “I’ve worked cases where people let their dog starve to death, but this was the worst case of animal cruelty that I’ve seen.”
Louis stood patiently outside the parole board offices after the hearing as people lined up to pat him on the head. He nuzzled up to many of his admirers, giving some a big, juicy lick on the face.
Our Compass 
Tears in my eyes, oh that poor dog. IF it were legal that dog should bite his face off. That monster, he is mentally ill and needs to stay where he is. I work as animal welfare person and it is good to see we are protecting the animals from such oh there are no words for those kinds of walking talking whatever to be polite on line. That dog should bark loudly at him and scare him silly and I hope that he finds some nice friends where he is. PLEASE DO NOT EVER LET HIM OUT OF WHERE HE IS, OTHER ANIMALS AND KIDS NEED TO BE SAFE. If paroled he could be anywhere. Thank you for denying parole.
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to juan daniels:
juan daniels you can rot in jail,
but you belong in a garbage pail!!!!
to those who deem him ever fit to reenter society:
Karen Lyons Kalmenson yep!!!!
a psychopath is a psychopath, and he waits, like a chrysalis, for his time. he needs to never see the light of day
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Lock him up and throw away the key and that dog should watch him every single day he rots, I would bring that dog to where he is just to watch him get heckled etc in prison and they should not protect him at all and have that dog eat in front of him etc.
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I am sending out many hugs and kisses via the internet for the dog.
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May the laws in Alabama change to the same as if it was manslaughter basically thats what he was trying to do and that is how many years then with maybe parole or life with a change of parole or no parole. It needs to stick for more than 9 years, he is dangersous. makes me shiver thinking bout it. I want my child safe not have to worry where this mentally deranged being is.
I hope that Alabama adopts the Mandatory Reporting of Animal Cruelty. I have tried to get my state to get such a law passed. Those living everywhere needs to know where such offenders are living.
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Please get the word out when his next parole hearing in 2012 will be and I will be there. This monster needs to stay in prison for the rest of his life so that humans and animals will be safe!
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Who can do such cruesome things to animals? They are the nicest creatures on earth. Man! I don’t understand, why people are so shit. I wish this dog all the best for the rest of his life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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To respond to Anne’s comment, that mentally disturbed person is just that ok. If it was a child then that child would have gotten it. whatever was in his way at the time his anger broke out but believe me his family knew something was wrong with him im sure. so they should be brought down as well. People know if something is wrong with people especially parents, im a parent and fear this individual I cant call his name after this will hurt another animals or child. he is a dangerous minded human waste. Keep him where he is throw away the key. That dog has suffered enough trauma.
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Nine years is a start. Anybody who could commit that kind of torture on a helpless animal has no soul and if there was true justice, he would never be allowed in society again. Actually if there was true justice, he would be beaten with a shovel and set on fire.
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WHAT ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS NEWS NO PAROLE!! YES, YES, YES WE CAN!!!! & WE WILL CONTINUE TO TREAT ABUSERS WITH THEY DESERVE MANY YEARS BEHIND BARS. THIS NEEDS TO SPREAD TO ALL STATES. HOW DARE PEOPLE SAY HIS CRIME WAS NOT AS BAD AS OTHERS, IT IS WORSE!! AS BAD AS CHILD ABUSE AS BAD AS MURDER.
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More judges Should hand Out Stiffer Sen.For This sort Of Abuse !! He Should Have Got A Lot More Time Than He Got !!
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