Cecil the Lion: Charges Dropped Against Professional Hunter

[Royal27]

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-N...l-the-lion-death/3511478970996/?spt=slh&or=10

Shocker


Zimbabwe court drops charges against hunter in Cecil the lion death
By Amy R. Connolly

HARARE, Zimbabwe, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- A high court in Zimbabwe dropped charges against a professional hunter who led an expedition that killed a beloved lion named Cecil, sparking international outrage of the death of the big cat and a call for a ban of trophy hunting.

The court ruled the charges against Theo Bronkhorst, including failing to prevent an illegal hunt, were "too vague to enable him to mount a proper defense." Bronkhorst led the expedition that included Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer, who paid some $50,000 to shoot the animal and skin it. Officials said Cecil was lured from Zimbabwe's largest game reserve, Hwange National Park, where it is illegal to shoot animals, and killed July 1, 2015.

Bronkhorst's attorney, Perpetua Dube, said the high court judge decided "the charges as they were brought at that time were not properly constituted."

"He's agreed with us on that point. And that is all there is to it," she said. "It's not an acquittal, so it doesn't have that effect."

Zimbabwe officials originally said they would charge Palmer but later dropped the plan.

 

[rinehart0050]

Kind of dodging the question of any wrong-doing though.

"The court ruled the charges against Theo Bronkhorst, including failing to prevent an illegal hunt, were "too vague to enable him to mount a proper defense."

If I understand that correctly, the government essentially charged the PH with made up charges and then tried and failed to figure out how those charges might actually violate a law. Scary to think that they can accuse you of something, arrest you, embroil you in a court battle, etc. all based on them not liking something you did- not any actual statutory violations.

Risk of doing business in Zimbabwe I guess.

 

[CAustin]

And so the saga comes to another dead end!

 

[sierraone]

And so the saga comes to another dead end!

Maybe, since he was not acquitted, the government can come back if they choose with correct charges, depending on their statute of limitations and other legal factors.

 

[Royal27]

I think it was in another article and not the linked one, but I also saw mention that he did truly have the proper paperwork. That sure makes it harder to prosecute as well.

 

[mrpoindexter]

Prosecuted or not, this puts a chill on hunting those types of animals there.

 

[lcq]

Maybe, since he was not acquitted, the government can come back if they choose with correct charges, depending on their statute of limitations and other legal factors.

In a dictatorship run by crackpot Mugabe one is never safe

 

[edward]

where zim is concerned i dont think the word legal means anything.