Union City’s move to adopt a vicious dog ordinance reminds me of when I was a deputy city attorney for the City of Stockton enforcing that city’s vicious dog ordinance.
A young man was cited for having a vicious dog running at large.
The local health district had documents showing that the defendant’s dog had bitten four different people!
I subpoenaed the four victims to testify at a court trial.
One of the victim’s mothers asked me not to require her son to testify. She said this was to preserve good neighbor relations. I complied with her request.
After I called my witnesses, the defendant called the neighbor’s son as a character witness!
My cross-examination of him consisted of the following question, asked while I was reading the health district certificate: “Isn’t it true that on (date and year) you were bitten by the defendant’s dog?”
In my 30 years of practicing law, that was my more enjoyable moment!
Theodore Bresler
Fremont
