Police in Oregon have been seeking a landlord named Brooke Skoda-Kempton, 39, who stole a black 4-year-old whippet named Isis from her former tenant Kate Taylor, 30. After a public call for the whereabouts of Kempton, she turned herself in by pulling up to the police station in a stretch limo. Not exactly the entrance that most defense lawyers would suggest.
Kempton kicked out Taylor, who sold her horses as part of the rental agreement with Kempton. The horses were housed at the stable of Kempton’s mother. The reason cited in news reports for terminating the lease was that Kempton viewed Taylor as “being disrespectful.”
Kempton allegedly later showed up at Taylor’s father’s house and was confronted by Kevin Taylor, 61, over two saddles that she said his daughter stole. She said that she was going to take Taylor’s dog, Isis, until she got her saddles back and drove off. The father said that he tried to stop her and jumped on the running boards of her truck but that she sped up and he was thrown to the ground — causing injuries.
What is weird is that after Kempton arrived in her limousine, the whereabouts of Isis remained unknown and police asked the public to help find the dog.
There is a legal doctrine called distress damage feasant that allows a person to hold on to an animal that trespasses on their land as security for the payment of compensation for damage caused by it. However, that doctrine does not give a person license to go on to the land of someone to kidnap a dog for such purposes. It is not clear if whether, in addition to charges of robbery and theft, Kempton will be charged with assault on the father by accelerating as he sought to prevent the theft of the dog. In any case, her fancy arrival will only add notoriety to infamy if any harm has come to Isis.
Any ideas on why the dog was called ISIS – Interested now. At least they arrived in a limo
If there is still such doctrine…and indeed there is by statute in some states…then why did north dakota use a dod reaper and swat team against the farmer waiting for damages as he held his neighbors tresspassing cows?
Back to the article,…why is the dog named isis? Maybe sometimes it takes a limo to send a message…..or it was prom night.
Nick – only if it was a dressage barn.
I’m unclear if Taylor was a trainer for Kempton, or if she had to sell her own horses to make rent.
There is a lot of drama in the horse world, but this takes the cake. I have had saddles and other tack “accidentally” go home with someone else, although I got them back. A saddle can cost $750 to $1500 and up, so it’s a significant loss. Sometimes thieves target barns and completely wipe them out – stealing all of their client’s high end tack, which can make the business fold if riders don’t feel their tack is secure. And I won’t get into horse thieves.
This may be one of those instances where Kempton may have had every right to be upset, but how she reacted made her the villain, instead. If Taylor really took Kempton’s saddles home, all she had to do was suggest that either she check her tack room for her stuff, or the cops could check it. Or file a police report. But once you steal someone’s pet, then it no longer matters why you were upset. You are utterly and completely wrong.
May I add that the higher end barns can be more prone to entitled people, snarky attitudes, and drama, especially if it’s a show barn. There are a lot of riders at those barns who don’t even groom or warm up their own horses, and the trainers walk up and down the barn aisle with Ace, a tranq that makes hot horses easier to handle for riders who have no business on their backs. Surprisingly, you get more stuff stolen by rich young riders than you do at backyard barns, although it still happens there, too.
That said, a barn where everyone loves horses, gets along with each other, and good horsemanship is required is an absolutely lovely place to grow up.
Given that Kempton still has not returned the dog, and showed up in a limo to the police station, it makes me take her assertion that Taylor was disrespectful with a grain of salt.
The salient point is that the dog is still gone. What did Kempton do to it? I really hope she didn’t maliciously put the dog in the pound, give it away, or have it euthanized or hurt in any way. No matter what happens in court, I hope the dog gets home safe.
Nah, Mr. Schulte, you’re wrong. This woman is clearly a Republican, as evidenced by her imperious sense of entitlement her actions showed. Republicans are the actual takers in this society, siphoning societies resources the way an unethical lawyer drains a client’s trust fund.
H2O deOro – the woman is clearly a limousine liberal. Affluenza is a liberal disease. Republicans put their kids to work early. Teach them a trade.
This woman exudes the typical Republican attitude of of entitlement. Showing up in a limo sets up her “Affluenza” defense.
There is a lot going on in this mish mash. All in all it is a stretch. I think that there are few discernible law issues to even think about and so I will say it. I think the topic is lame.
Going from a stretch limo to a stretch in the county jail?
Did she own (or just hire out) this stretch limo.? lol