By: Associated Press//May 27, 2013//
FOND DU LAC, Wis. (AP) — A Campbellsport man has been convicted of tying a teenager upside-down and ordering his dog to attack because the man thought the teen was burglarizing his home.
A jury deliberated nearly six hours Friday before finding Richard Lisko, 59, guilty of first-degree reckless injury and false imprisonment. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 18 years in prison and a $110,000 fine. A sentencing date has not been set.
Prosecutors say Lisko hung 18-year-old Joel Kennedy upside-down by his ankles for more than an hour and periodically ordered his dog to attack. Kennedy suffered cuts and punctures to his neck, ears and scalp.
The teen’s father was previously convicted of helping Lisko tie up his son. Joel E. Kennedy, 43, told detectives he didn’t try to stop Lisko “because he was paralyzed with fear that Lisko was a member of the Outlaw bikers,” the criminal complaint said. “He also stated that he felt his son needed to be taught a lesson.”
Lisko told investigators he suspected Kennedy of stealing morphine and gold coins. He and Joel E. Kennedy allegedly tied a dog leash around the teen’s ankles, and Lisko commanded his dog, Bubba, to attack.
Prosecutor Dennis Krueger said the teen has permanent scars and his feet were numb for nearly a month after the attack.
“That is a direct cause of what Lisko did. (Lisko) knew what was happening and didn’t put a stop to it,” Krueger said in closing arguments.
Defense attorney Dan Stevens told jurors that police made a “snap judgment” to believe the teen’s story and investigated accordingly. He said the teen lied to police to hide his burglary attempt, the Reporter of Fond du Lac reported.
Police “were no longer searching for the truth,” Stevens said. “They were working on building their case.”
Testimony around the false-imprisonment charge centered on whether Lisko had a right to make a citizen’s arrest. The law says a citizen who has reasonable grounds to believe a felony has been committed can detain a person in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable length of time.
Stevens argued that Lisko thought the teen was burglarizing his home so the detainment was reasonable. But Krueger said there was no evidence given during trial that Kennedy stole anything, rendering a citizen’s arrest unlawful.
Information from: The Reporter, http://www.fdlreporter.com