Punch dog, six months; punch and kill man, 60 days

In Columbus, Ohio, on July 27 an Ohio State University student was sentenced to 60 days in jail for throwing a punch that led to a man's death.

That same day, just 12 miles north in the city of Delaware, another man was sentenced to six months in jail for punching a police dog.

Once again, I'm left to ponder seemingly inexplicable disparities in the law.

I despise abuse of any animal. Anyone guilty of it deserves the maximum penalty.

But only 60 days for what proved to be a punch that killed a man?

The OSU student, Brent Goode, 23, pleaded guilty last month to felonious assault for punching a nursing student, Nickolas Foss, 29, during an argument outside a Columbus bar in April 2008. The punch caused Foss to fall and strike his head on the sidewalk. He died two days later without regaining consciousness.

In court Monday Goode read a statement saying he was sorry for what happened. He said he felt "sick with disbelief" when he learned Foss had died.

In addition to the 60 days, the judge gave Goode three years' probation and fined him $2,000.

Meanwhile, in Delaware, Jeffrey Metz, 45, got six months for assaulting the police dog by punching it in the head and throat and breaking a tooth. The judge there told Metz he also must serve five years on community control.

Sheriff's deputies said Metz led them on a high-speed chase in January when they tried to pull him over for speeding. Metz spun into a field but refused officers' orders to get out of his car. Deputies sent a police dog named Thor into the car and testified that Metz punched the animal repeatedly.

Metz also had been convicted of failure to comply with a police order.

Thor isn't just any dog, of course. He's a law enforcement K-9, trained to do exactly what he did that day. I'm sure he bared his teeth and was growling when he went into the car. I have no sympathy for Metz; he put himself into that situation.

Thor, by the way, has recovered and returned to duty, the sheriff's office said.

It's always risky to draw comparative conclusions from two very different court cases. There are differences in applicable statutes, varying results from attorneys' negotiations and plea bargains, a defendant's background, sometimes judges' perspectives. A myriad of factors can influence sentences.

Brent Goode probably is very sorry for what happened outside the bar that night. Apparently; it was his first criminal offense.

Still, six months for punching a police dog, but only 60 days for a punch that caused a man's death?

I can't square it.