Chad Alvarez to stand trial in bird's death
JSPRINE
By Dennis Chaptman of the Journal Sentinel staff
June 3, 1999
Madison -- The University of Wisconsin-Madison football coach's son, accused of
roasting a fraternity brother's parrot to death in a microwave oven, waived a
preliminary hearing and was ordered to stand trial Wednesday.
Chad Alvarez, the 23-year-old son of coach Barry Alvarez, now faces arraignment
on charges stemming from the May 4 death of Iago, a gray and green Quaker
parrot that could speak about 20 words. No trial date was set.
About five animal-rights activists sat in a Dane County Circuit Court gallery
as Alvarez waived the right to a preliminary hearing. Asked why she came, Dena
Kyle of Waunakee said: "To prosecute him. Because it's just wrong. Birds can
have the intelligence of a 2- to 3-year-old kid."
According to the criminal complaint, Alvarez told Madison police he killed the
parrot at the Sigma Chi fraternity house because he was angry with the bird's
owner.
The incident is not the first brush with the law for Alvarez.
He was arrested in April for running onto the playing field at County Stadium
during the Brewers home opener. Those charges are pending, and his next court
date is June 10.
Alvarez also was cited for disorderly conduct during the Sept. 26, 1998,
football game at Camp Randall after loitering behind the visiting team's bench
and verbally harassing Northwestern coaches and players, said UW police Capt.
Dale Burke.
Officers told Alvarez to "move along" after spotting him in a prohibited area
behind the bench, Burke said. After Alvarez was told twice to move, an officer
put a hand on him to move him away when he became "resistive," Burke said.
Alvarez was taken into custody.
Burke, who was at the game, said: "I couldn't say if a breath test was
administered or not, but his intoxication was obvious from his appearance and
he had admitted to have been drinking."
Burke's supervisor recognized the young Alvarez and decided he should be
ejected from the stadium instead of given a citation, Burke said. Shortly after
Alvarez was kicked out, police received a complaint of an unruly fan in the
east stands.
Officers discovered Alvarez had purchased a ticket and was back in the stadium
causing a disruption. He was taken into custody a second time and issued a
disorderly conduct citation, which he did not contest.
In another incident, Alvarez was convicted of drunken driving stemming from an
incident Feb. 12.
James S. Prine
http://www.prinebooks.com
gwwood
(JSPRINE) wrote:
> About five animal-rights activists sat in a Dane County Circuit Court gallery
> as Alvarez waived the right to a preliminary hearing. Asked why she came, Dena
> Kyle of Waunakee said: "To prosecute him. Because it's just wrong. Birds can
> have the intelligence of a 2- to 3-year-old kid."
However, aborting a parrot through omelettization is perfectly legal in
the first trimester.
Robin Colleen Moore
<awful story snipped>
Sorry, folks, but I'm an animal lover (hell, sometimes I like them a lot
better than people...>, and anyone who would do something like that to
an innocent animal deserves to have the book thrown at him, IMNSHO.
He's just lucky that he managed not to kill anyone while he was drunk
driving, or there'd be NO doubt about his going to jail for a good long
time. (FWIW, parrots don't have the intelligence of a 3-year-old human
child--they have the intelligence of a 5 to 7-year old; and either way,
being cooked alive is a horrible way for any sentient creature to die.
He killed it because he was pissed at the owner? Sheesh, what's next?
Smacking around someone's spouse or kid--or worse?)
Maybe it sounds silly to defend animals when people are being murdered
(and I'm not happy about that, either), but please keep in mind that
apparently there's quite a bit of evidence that many murderers of
humans--and especially serial killers--start out by torturing and
killing animals, and then escalate to people; so even if you don't
especially care about animals, there's something to consider.
Robin the mad photographer (who thinks microwaving would be too good for
this drunken fratboy asshole)
ro...@mindspring.com - Medford, MA - Black Sheep Studios
Heater Shirt Queen/Minor Net Goddess/Cat Mom/Yenta
"Is it just me, or is that inflatable Titanic slide in
bloodcurdlingly bad taste?" "It's you..."
Danny R. Barnes
well aimed spankings to the rear of his son at a much earlier age.
Danny
JSPRINE
>humans--and especially serial killers--start out by torturing and
>killing animals, and then escalate to people;
This is quite true. Gourmand Jeffrey Dahmer, and Richard Trenton Chase ( the
"Sacramento Vampire") for instance, took great delight in torturing and killing
small animals before moving on to larger prey.
There are many more examples out there, unfortunately...and some are doubtless
performing their rituals even as you read these words.
Craig Johnston
Robin Colleen Moore <ro...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>JSPRINE <jsp...@aol.com> wrote:
>
><awful story snipped>
>
>Sorry, folks, but I'm an animal lover (hell, sometimes I like them a lot
>better than people...>, and anyone who would do something like that to
>an innocent animal deserves to have the book thrown at him, IMNSHO.
There's a simpler answer: the bird was not his property. Regardless
of the rights of birds, he destroyed a creature that belonged to
someone else and may have been highly valued. People who mess with
other people's property need to have the book thrown at them,
regardless of how you feel about animals.
--
Craig Johnston
c...@lfn.org
Robin Colleen Moore
If that's what it takes to nail his sorry ass, then go for it...it just
seems a shame to have to relate it to the bird's being someone's
property (and valuable property, too--parrots usually go for at least a
grand, probably a lot more depending on the type of bird) rather than on
the pain inflicted on it. I can't help but think that the laws
regarding cruelty to animals should be strengthened in that regard, for
both the sakes of the animals and any humans these scumbags might move
on to next...
Robin the mad photographer (and somewhat guilty omnivore...)