Category Archives: Appellate Court Rulings

A collection of posts from the DogsBite.org Blog about state and federal appellate court rulings pertaining to dog bite victim lawsuits, dangerous dog laws and breed-specific legislation.

Report: Texas Dog Bite Fatalities, January 1, 2005 to February 17, 2013

The report shows that 34 Texas dog bite fatalities were recorded during this period, more dog bite-related deaths than any other state. Impediments to reduce these deaths include the One Bite rule and the 1991 statewide measure that prohibits breed-specific laws. Austin, TX - In just over the last 8-years, 34 Texans were killed by dogs. Pit bulls were responsible for 76% of the total recorded deaths. The second most lethal dog breed, rottweilers, accounted for 15%. Pit bull… [Read full blog post]

West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Upholds Town of Ceredo's Pit Bull Ban

High Court Upholds Pit Bull Ban Charleston, WV - In a memorandum decision filed January 14, the highest court in West Virginia affirmed the constitutionality of a breed-specific ordinance that prohibited the ownership of pit bull terriers in the Town of Ceredo. In the decision, the high court affirmed the order of Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Darrell Pratt, who had affirmed the Municipal Court of Ceredo's conviction of three defendants for the possession of pit bulls w… [Read full blog post]

Solesky Family Releases 911 Call at the Center of High Court Decision, Tracey v. Solesky

The 911 call portrays a life-threatening attack upon a young boy by a neighbor's pit bull. Towson, MD December 17, 2012 -- Anthony and Irene Solesky, the parents of a young pit bull mauling victim at the center of Tracey v. Solesky, an appellate court decision that declared pit bulls "inherently dangerous," release the 911 call of the attack upon their son. The life-threatening attack inflicted by a neighbor's pit bull occurred in a residential alley on April 28, 2007 at appro… [Read full blog post]

Maryland Court of Appeals Narrows Decision to Pit Bulls; Removes Cross-Bred Pit Bulls

On April 8, 2014 the governor signed a bill abrogating this Court of Appeals decision. Motion for Reconsideration Annapolis, MD - In a rare decision by the high court to grant a motion for reconsideration, the Maryland Court of Appeals narrowed its April, 26 2012 ruling in Tracey v. Solesky by limiting its ruling only to pit bulls and removing the terms: cross-breds, pit bull mix, or cross-bred pit bull mix. The Court narrowed its original Opinion because the case before them,… [Read full blog post]