People v. Bunt

In People v. Bunt (118 Misc. 2d 904 [Just Ct, Dutchess County 1983]), an Animal Cruelty case, the defendant was charged under Agriculture and Markets Law 353 with "brutally" beating a dog with a baseball bat. He challenged the constitutionality of the statute arguing, inter alia, that the term "unjustifiably," as used in the statute, was vague. The court held that the statute in general gave defendant enough notice that the conduct with which he was charged violated the statute, and that what is justifiable is to be evaluated in the context of the moral standards of the community. (Id. at 909.)