Category Archives: Appellate Court Rulings

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

Maryland High Court Ruling Stands: Pit Bulls are 'Inherently Dangerous'

Compromise Bill Fails Sign up: Support the Court Email Alerts  |  Follow: @Supportthecourt Annapolis, MD - On April 8, the last day of the Maryland General Assembly's 2013 Legislative Session, after weeks of discussion, amendments and name calling from Delegate Luiz Simmons,1 the House killed the final negotiated bill that would have reversed the high court ruling and set forth a new dog bite liability standard. For months, the difference between the two cham… [Read full blog post]

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]