Dog Stabbing Trial Postponed Because of Legislator Letter

Court proceedings for a New Haven man accused of stabbing a puppy 29 times were continued Friday in order to give his public defender time to examine a letter the judge had received from a group of Connecticut legislators calling for a stiff punishment.

Twenty-three legislators from around the state submitted a letter to Judge Phillip Scarpellino on July 9, allegedly criticizing the court for not taking the animal cruelty case against Alexander Bernard, 25, "seriously," according to Scarpellino.

Bernard was charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty for allegedly stabbing his family's eight-month-old Pit Bull mix "Princess" 29 times on May 25 at a Dixwell Avenue home. The dog survived and has been recovering from .

Bernard is being held in police custody on $10,000 bond. Most recently he  on July 12 of a one-year sentence that would have been suspended after he served 60 days.

"...The sheer volume of his attack is enormously worrisome," the letter said of Bernard. It also reportedly discussed a link between animal cruelty and both domestic violence and child abuse, according to the judge, who presented it as "exhibit A" to the court Friday during Bernard's scheduled court appearance and read a portion of it aloud.

Patch has not received a copy of the letter, but has confirmed one name on it, that of Stonington State Rep. Diana Urban, through her staff.

Scarpellino said he believed the letter could be interpreted as "intimidation" towards him, but did not recuse himself from the case.

"I am upset by the letter but not influenced by it, " he told the court.

The judge moved Bernard's next court date to Aug. 29. The extended date will allow further examination of the ramifications of the letter for the defense and grant Bernard another competency examination that was requested by his attorney.

During the appearance, a small group of protesters gathered outside the Meriden Court in near-100 degree heat.

"I have been here from the start and will be here to the end seeking justice. What if next time he decides to stab a child? Is that what it is going to take to change the policy on animal abuse?" Patty Daponte of Meriden said, holding a sign that said "Stabbed 29 Times! = 29 Counts of Justice for Princess."

"The legislature has passed laws considering animal cruelty to be a felony and in this case it is considered a misdemeanor," said Diane Smith, a cat rescuer from New Britain. "Something is wrong here."

Bernard allegedly told Hamden Police he stabbed Princess because "...no one in his family liked the dog."