An agreement has been reached in the high-profile case involving 60 year-old Susanville resident Dwight Bennett, owner of Whispering Pines Ranch, according to a statement released Friday afternoon by Lassen County District Attorney Stacey Montgomery. Bennett was arrested in October of 2011 and charged with 30 counts of animal cruelty after Lassen County Sheriff’s deputies, with assistance from Search and Rescue, searched his property on Highway 36 west of Susanville and found the decomposing remains of 28 horses and three dogs.
Bennett was taken into custody and, according to the LCSO, deputies seized a small amount of methamphetamine, marijuana and five firearms during the arrest.
According to the D.A.’s office an agreement was reached with Bennett through his attorney, Stephen King, resolving the animal cruelty case. Bennett pled to four counts of animal abuse and cruelty pursuant to Section 597 of the Penal Code and now faces up to four years in the county jail.
Stephen King, commenting on the agreement, asserted that this was a reasonable disposition to a very complicated case – possibly the most complicated case of his career.
“Neither side could predict would happen in trial,” explained King. “Mr. Bennett entered a no-contest plea after fighting this case for three years.”
King also noted that Judge Bradbury was assigned this case and assisted the parties in a resolution. Bradbury has the most experience of any judge in Lassen County and had the authority to reject the plea agreement between the parties if unjust.
In response to the agreement District Attorney Montgomery said, “The people of Lassen County elected me to make difficult decisions and let me tell you… this was a hard one. Nobody cares more about animals than this D.A., especially horses. The Bennett case has been hanging over this office for nearly 3 years and a decision had to be made.”
“After personally talking to witnesses and experts in this case,” said Montgomery, “I feel justice for the people is being served.”
The decision has been forwarded to the Lassen County Probation Department for a report and sentencing in the case is set for mid-October.
