Adam Barnes, a 25-year-old from Soldotna who pleaded no contest to the charge of felony cruelty to animals, was sentenced last week to six months in prison and five years probation, but has motioned to have previous time spent under house arrest credited as time served.
Barnes was arrested on Aug. 31, 2023, after Alaska State Troopers were told that he had beat a 9-month-old puppy, Cinna, to death. According to a trooper affidavit included with charging documents Barnes told officers that the injuries he’d inflicted upon the dog came as he attempted both to discipline and force-feed the animal. The puppy died that night.
A no contest plea to the charge of cruelty to animals was submitted by Barnes on Sept. 26. He appeared for a sentencing hearing at the Kenai Courthouse on Wednesday, Jan. 22, before a courtroom filled with supporters of the deceased puppy. Organized by Kelly Griebel on Facebook, around 20 people filled the stands in the courtroom during the hearing.
Many had brought signs with messages of support for Cinna but were barred from bringing them into the courthouse. Instead, they put strips of yellow duct tape on their clothes with Cinna’s name written on them.
The Class C felony offense can carry a prison sentence of zero to two years, a maximum fine of $50,000 and a maximum probation period of 10 years, Superior Court Judge Kelly Lawson said during the hearing. After arguments by the prosecution and defense she ordered 24 months incarceration with 18 months suspended, resulting in six months active jail time. Lawson also ordered five years of probation with mental health treatment, anger management treatment, substance abuse treatment and a bar on the use of controlled substances. During probation, Barnes is not allowed to have custody of any animals.
The period of incarceration, Lawson said, “will hopefully act as a deterrent to Mr. Barnes and will ensure that he follows through with probation.”
Deputy District Attorney Dan Strigle said that the puppy had no means to defend itself and was left without medical care for hours.
Public Defender Matt Sanford said that while the results of Barnes’ disciplining of Cinna were tragic, Barnes didn’t recognize the harm he had inflicted on the puppy. He said that Barnes had taken responsibility for his actions by pleading no contest.
“I apologized the day I killed Cinna,” Barnes said during the hearing.
Strigle said that the “contrition” alleged by the defense in taking the no contest plea doesn’t line up with his characterization of events.
“I gave him no offer, because I wanted a jury of his peers to see what he had done,” Strigle said. “Him relenting and saying ‘I want a no contest plea’ is him saying ‘I’m not admitting to the facts in this case, I am just not fighting them.’ That’s not contrition to me.”
Sanford on Thursday, Jan. 23, filed a motion for the court to credit Barnes with the 102 days imprisonment served on house arrest. From Nov. 16, 2023, to Feb. 26, 2024, he writes, Barnes was on house arrest without requesting a single pass to leave his home. If granted, the request would eliminate the majority of the jail sentence issued by Lawson during the hearing.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
