What the Judge Ate for Breakfast

Marques Eason is set for trial next week — the first under a state law that makes animal cruelty a felony.

Kansas legislators enacted Magnum’s Law, or Scruffy’s Law, in 2006, when Apollo, a a four-month old Dachshund mix puppy, died of blunt force trauma. Witnesses said at a preliminary hearing in December that Eason threw the dog down the stairs.

Lawrence Williamson represents Eason; Aaron Smith is prosecuting. The trial is set to begin Monday before Judge Rebecca Pilshaw.

Also set for trial Monday is Tiffany Berry, charged with felony murder stemming from a home invasion robbery in which a man died.

Prosecutors say Miguel Moya was shot multiple times in a house at 104 E. Eighth St. and Keena Elam was injured in a robbery that netted just over $400 in cash.

Berry, 26, is the first of two defendants to go to trial. Michael E. Phillips, 26, remained at large in the Nov. 19 shooting until he was arrested after a traffic stop on July 6.

Richard Ney is defending Berry against prosecutor Margaret McIntire before Judge David Kaufman.