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STATE GAZETTE (Dyersburg, Tennessee) 21 December 07 Judge rebuts story on $1,000 fine for killing a snake
Could you really be fined nearly a $1,000 for running over a snake in Tennessee?
That's allegedly what happened to a Louisiana woman who killed a snake while driving through Lake County, according to a report that has aired repeatedly this week on a West Tennessee radio station.
The story caught the attention of several people, who asked Lake County General Sessions Judge Danny Goodman if he really fined the woman anywhere from $900 to $1,000.
Goodman, who first heard about the story on Thursday, when queried by a State Gazette reporter, was astounded.
"I don't have any idea what they're talking about," he said.
The tempest started last week, when a caller from McKenzie said he's heard at a coffee shop that a woman from Louisiana vowed never return to Tennessee because of the fine. The caller said a man who'd overheard the conversation called a TWRA agent, who reportedly confirmed the story.
Trouble was, none of its was true.
But the story caught on fire after Grace Broadcasting production director Steve Hilton, who hosts a popular call-in radio show, repeated the story throughout the week.
If anyone were cited for killing a snake, Goodman said the case would have been heard in his court. But, he said he's heard no such cases. In fact, Goodman said only two wildlife-related cases have come up recently.
One was for hunting deer without deer tags; the other was for hunting over a baited field. Both cases were dismissed.
Goodman and members of the circuit court clerk's office wondered if the report could have referred to a different Lake County, such as Lake County, Fla.; Lake County, Ill.; Lake County, Ind.; Lake County, Ohio; Lake County, Calif.; Lake County, Ore.; Lake County, Mont; Lake County, Colo.; Lake County, Minn.; or ... well, you get the idea.
The judge said he intended to call the radio station, WTNE FM 97.7 from Trenton, to find out what's going on.
Hilton issued a clarification as soon as the broadcast began at 6:30 a.m. Friday and noted the corrected version throughout the day.
Hilton said Goodman had called him on Thursday telling him the story was untrue.
Judge rebuts story on $1,000 fine for killing a snake

Unfortunately, I think this story may incite more people to run over snakes out of spite, to "stick it to the man."
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

You know what??? I currently live in what is at this time the "warmest Lake county in the U.S." (I'm in Fla.) and I don't think there is much of a chance of anyone running over any snakes any time soon to "stick it to the man"... here much less in Tennessee unless there's some of those "snow snakes" there.

I don't think there is much of a chance of anyone running over any snakes any time soon to "stick it to the man"...

Doesn't have to be soon...people will remember this story as another convenient excuse for running over snakes.

Good thing here in TX all roads have been converted into Wildlife Sanctuaries.
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

Wonder what the fine will be for that offense, haha, not fummy at all! Hope there are sting operations funded by all the new permit revenue as well, DOH!

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Todd Hughes