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Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 03/31/06
OCEANPORT — William Throckmorton, a former municipal court judge here, was charged Thursday with one count of animal cruelty and one count of illegally discharging a firearm … an air pellet rifle … within the township.

Chief Victor Amato of the SPCA police said Throckmorton, of Commanche Drive, shot and killed a Canada goose while the daughter of a neighbor was watching from an adjacent yard. The witness, whom Amato would not further identify, subsequently took photos of the struggling animal before it died, the chief said.

He said the air rifle shoots pellets and is considered a deadly weapon under New Jersey law. He quoted Throckmorton, whose waterfront property often attracts fowl, as saying he was tired of them soiling his back yard.

"He was an honest man,'' Amato said. "He didn't try to lie about what he had done. He admitted it.''

Amato said Throckmorton, in his 70s, was formerly a municipal court judge. Amato also said local police charged Throckmorton with illegally discharging a weapon. Police refused to confirm the charge or say when Throckmorton was a judge, explaining only the police chief could comment on a case.

Screw the SPCA. Good for you Judge!!!

The poor bastard would proabably be better off if he'd shot the Chief of Police.
Now in addition to state and local charges, he'll proabably be hit with a Federal charge for killing a migratory waterfowl out of seasion and proabably without a "Duck stamp" not to mention that he didn't register with the H.I.P. program.  

While I'm pissed at the laws that make a pellet gun the same as my AR15 or Mosin, what he did was damn cruel and stupid, you dont use a pellet gun to kill a duck humanely.

stupid thing to do
a judge should know better, but then again he is a NJ judge
Stupid but not worth any real attention

You know if it was anyone of us, we would be hung by the media by now for using a AW with large capacity magazines that hold lots and lots of pellets.

stupid question if I bought a pellet gun out of state say Florida or Texas, will the dealer in that state requires FID or permit?

Quoted: stupid question if I bought a pellet gun out of state say Florida or Texas, will the dealer in that state requires FID or permit?

Nope. When I was in a Florida Walmart last summer they had a whole wall of pellet rifles & pistols. Sigh said you must be 16 years old to purchase!!!!!

Quoted: While I'm pissed at the laws that make a pellet gun the same as my AR15 or Mosin, what he did was damn cruel and stupid, you dont use a pellet gun to kill a duck humanely.

Why not? Its a deadly weapon!

Quoted: Quoted: stupid question if I bought a pellet gun out of state say Florida or Texas, will the dealer in that state requires FID or permit? Nope. When I was in a Florida Walmart last summer they had a whole wall of pellet rifles & pistols. Sigh said you must be 16 years old to purchase!!!!!

Federal law says "air rifles" and "muzzle-loaders" are NON-GUNS and not subject to the provisions of the 1968 Gun Control Act.  

My best air rifle is rated for 1,000fps and it WILL kill birds and small mammels (head shot works best, YMMV)

The dealer might ask for your FID.  The dealer must comply with the laws of his state and the purchaser's state.  More than likely they won't ask for ID.

He was a judge and should have known better.  He deserves no special treatment. Also, my view may not be popular, but if you don't like ducks, geese, seagulls, etc.  then why live on the water?

You can also purchase air guns in PA...

...or at least that was what I was told.

It's not like I did that or something...  

RW3