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Plea deal offered in bison deaths

Judge OKs time to consider offer

Rocky Mountain News

Published October 7, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Jeffrey Scott Hawn, left, and attorney Pamela Mackey arrive at the Park County Courthouse in Fairplay for an appearance in early October.

Photo by Photo by Ed Andrieski/Associated Press

Jeffrey Scott Hawn, left, and attorney Pamela Mackey arrive at the Park County Courthouse in Fairplay for an appearance in early October.

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Prosecutors have offered a plea deal to a software company executive accused of felony theft in the killing of his neighbor's bison in South Park last winter.

The offer was made Monday outside the courtroom in Fairplay, where Jeffrey Scott Hawn had been scheduled to enter a plea in the case.

Hawn's lawyer, Pamela Mackey, requested time to consider the offer. The judge then continued the hearing until Nov. 3.

The terms of the plea arrangement were not revealed.

Neither Mackey nor assistant district attorney Katherine O'Brien would comment after the hearing.

Hawn, 45, of Austin, Texas, is accused of hiring men to kill 30 bison that strayed onto his Park County ranch March 19. He also is accused of killing two of the bison himself.

Authorities have estimated the value of the slain animals at $77,000.

Hawn is CEO of Attachmate Corp., a $400 million global software company based in Seattle.

On March 10, Hawn filed a lawsuit against his neighbor Monte Downare, accusing him of allowing the bison to trample his property and destroy his fences in about 50 different places.

Downare later filed a countersuit against Hawn, alleging that he hired 14 hunters to kill the bison.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Comments

  • October 7, 2008

    1:15 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    happymike44 writes:

    Well it seems if you are rich you can get away with anything.
    This guy needs to understand he is fully at fault for his actions.
    I wonder why would someone destroy someones livelyhood.
    He needs to spend a little time in the big house.
    He will then understand the error of his way.
    Part of the plea agreement should be that he needs to sell his house and move as well.
    For the safety of his victims.

  • October 7, 2008

    4:26 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Unique writes:

    Did he ask the owner to round them up first? And the owner refused?

    If he didn't - HANG the mother. Those weren't his bison to kill.

    "....destroy his fences in about 50 different places."

    Bison don't take well to fences. They should have worked together to secure the bison.

    Good fences make good neighbors.
    Silly rabbits - do we have to tell you everything? :ROFL:

  • October 7, 2008

    7:24 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    V_twinMan writes:

    This is the equivalent of cattle rustling, not too many years ago they would have said " get a rope".

  • October 7, 2008

    8:40 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    buffsblg writes:

    Happymike

    By definition a plea deal involves a plea of guilty to something. That usually means that the defendant has to take some responsibility. As we have no idea what the offer is, it is probably a bit early to say that he is getting away with anything, rich or not. Plea offers are made in 99% of cases and accepted eventually in the great majority. Continuing a case for consideration of a plea offer is standard procedure.

  • October 7, 2008

    8:49 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    chibai writes:

    Hmm...I don't condone the killing of the bison...it was wrong, but I think the law should put the burdon on the rancher to keep his animals on his property and not the other person. Remember eminant domain abuse? If he is running a meat buisness, then run it on you own property, not your neighbors.

  • October 7, 2008

    9:12 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    chibai writes:

    Hmm..Looks like previous posting didn't take. Anyway, long and short, the killing was wrong, but keep your buisness and animals on your property. It shouldn't be the other guys responsibilty to maintain a fence to keep someone elses critters out.

  • October 7, 2008

    9:45 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    happymike44 writes:

    Dear Buff
    What makes him so special that he could go out and allow people to dstroy someones way of life.
    He needs to go back where he came from.
    Might be how they do it in Texas but it is not acceptable behavior at all.
    He did what he did becaus he is part of the priviledged upper class.
    That get whatever they want at the expense of everyone else.
    Send him to jail and let him see how the less then fortunate survive on a daily basis.

  • October 7, 2008

    10:01 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    666 writes:

    I see that Pam Mackey is defending yet another sleazy client. Does she have a minimum sleaze level for whether she'll represent someone?

  • October 7, 2008

    10:22 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    buffsblg writes:

    Well happymike, I understand that you reject the idea that someone might be innocent until proven guilty and that the constitution is to you just a boring piece of paper you cannot be bothered to read, but until he either pleads guilty or is convicted I will keep an open mind. The crime he is accused of is offensive but your assumption that you can judge him based on news reports is simplistic. None of us know how this will eventually come out, but of course that does not stop you from jumping to a conclusion.

  • October 7, 2008

    10:25 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    psu96 writes:

    his human rights were not violated, try again.

  • October 7, 2008

    1:46 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    AvsIn7 writes:

    If South Park had responsible bison leash laws this whole unfortunate incident could have been avoided.