Editor:

I am writing regarding the April 2009 124th Legislative Update article, or more particularly the comments made regarding LD 186: An Act Pertaining to the Possession of Animal Fighting Paraphernalia.

The author, Christine Perkins, dismisses the concern that the term “paraphernalia” lacks ambiguity. I totally disagree. The term paraphernalia is very ambiguous. The lack of clarity in laws often leads to legal challenges and cases thrown out of court. For all us who really want to protect dogs from dog fighting, we should encourage clarity in our regulations to facilitate successful prosecution. Rather than dismissing the vagueness in the proposed legislation

Ms. Perkins should encourage clarification prior to passing the legislation. It matters little how honorable the intentions of a law are; poorly written statutes will only result in frustration for prosecutors and judges and do little to advance canine protection.

Thank you for your time.

Kathy Hoppe