The acceptance of the blood sport of dogfighting in Jones County was tested last week, and a panel of 12 made a statement that it will not be tolerated.

Jarvis Peck, 21, was found guilty of dogfighting and cruelty to animals by a Jones County jury Oct. 26. He was sentenced to five years by Senior Judge William Townsend and given one year of that sentence to serve in prison.

Landon Simmons, 20, was found not guilty of dogfighting and guilty of cruelty to animals. He was sentenced to 12 months probation and 120 hours of community service to be served at the animal shelter.

Jarvis Peck, Simmons, and Rodriquez Peck were arrested and charged with dogfighting, cruelty to animals, and possession of marijuana less than an ounce Oct. 19, 2005. Rodriquez Peck pled guilty to the crime of dogfighting in May of 2006 and received a five-year probated sentence.

The trial for Jarvis Peck and Simmons started with jury selection Wednesday, Oct. 24, and the evidence portion of the trial began Thursday. Assistant District Attorney Keagan Goodrich called six witnesses to prove the state’s case, beginning with Ernie Bradley, who made the initial report of the crime.

Peck was represented by local attorney John Newberry and Simmons by public defender Ben Mitcham.

Bradley was hired to detail a boat at a home on Joycliff Circle across the street from the residence of Rodriquez Peck where the dogfight took place. Bradley made the initial report of the crime.

He testified to hearing the sound of dogs fighting and thinking the dogs were in the nearby woods. He said he walked to the edge of the driveway and heard voices yelling, “Get ‘em, get ‘em,” and at that point realized what he was hearing was a group of men fighting the dogs.

The witness said he saw three men in the yard across the street, and at one point one of them picked up a dog lying against the fence and threw it back into the fight. Bradley estimated he was about 80 yards from the scene and the time was approximately 2 p.m.

Bradley said what he saw infuriated him to the point he attempted to call the police, and when he discovered he had no service, he went looking for a deputy.

He said he saw Sgt. Ronnie Holloway and flagged him down.

“I want them creeps locked up,” Bradley said to Capt. Earl Humphries during an interview the following day that was played for the court via video.

Holloway was the second witness to take the stand and described hearing gunshots after speaking to Bradley. He said he called for backup and waited for the arrival of Lt. Melvin Johnson and the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force before approaching the scene of the dogfight.

The sergeant said officers first checked the back yard of the residence and found two dogs in a fenced area, one of them obviously injured with blood streaming down its face and damaged ears. Pictures of the dogs were shown in the courtroom. A wound on the head of the injured dog resembled a bullet hole, but it was later determined to be a puncture wound.

Holloway said the three men found inside the house were arrested.

Humphries was presented as an expert in the field of dogfighting by the state, and his expertise was agreed to by defense attorneys.

Humphries talked about a Newton County case initiated by the Jones County Sheriff’s Department in 2004 that was categorized as the ‘Super Bowl’ of dogfighting. The raid netted 123 arrests and the seizure of 10 dogs, one of which had been shot.

The captain said Jones County Sheriff Butch Reece received a commendation from the Georgia Legislature for his leadership role in the case.

Humphries explained that not all dogfights are like the Newton County case and not all involve gambling.

“In the first stages of dogfighting, owners are judging the gameness of dogs. Early fights are looking for mean, aggressive dogs,” he said. “Most dog fights are clandestine with two pickup trucks parked on a dirt road to see how the training is going.”

Humphries said sanctioned events have gambling and stringent rules.

The captain said he was called to Joycliff Road the day of the arrests of the Pecks and Simmons, and from evidence on the scene, he had no doubt that a dogfight had occurred.

Newberry asked Humphries if his opinion was formed because of his interview with Bradley. He replied that it was from the information he received from Bradley in addition to the evidence found at the scene.

Veterinarian Dr. Rusty Bean testified to the injuries to the dog, and crime scene technician Kenny Allen said no gun was found at the residence and a bag of marijuana was found in the toilet.

It was apparent that Rodriquez Peck was not happy to be in the courtroom, and Goodrich explained that a stipulation of Peck’s probation was that he would testify truthfully at the trial of his co-defendants. The prosecutor said when she called him the prior week to discus his testimony, Peck was not cooperative and was subsequently arrested. Peck also tested positive for marijuana, which was a violation of his probation.

Peck testified that he, his cousin Jarvis, and Simmons smoked a blunt – a cigar hollowed out and filled with marijuana – and went out in the back yard with the dogs.

“Jarvis wanted to see if the brown dog could fight. We stood them face to face and let them go,” Rodriquez Peck said.

Jarvis Peck did not take the stand in his own defense, but Simmons testified Friday morning. Simmons’ version of the events of Oct. 19, 2005, was that he went to his cousin’s house to visit and play video games.

Peck said he did not take marijuana to his cousin’s house and he heard no discussion about dogfighting.

Mitcham presented Simmons’ character as his main defense and Newberry focused on the line of sight of the back yard of the Peck house and the driveway where Bradley said he was standing when he witnessed the dogfight.

In her closing argument to the jury, Goodrich paraphrased Newberry’s opening in which he told the panel members that they were the last protection for an individuals’ rights.

“Mr. Newberry is right; you are our last defense against criminals. You have a choice to send a message. Is dogfighting ok in Jones County?” she asked.