Lisa

Sat, May 7, 2011 : 6:58 a.m.

Mr. Nacht, You do make a solid point -- I always wondered why I was 'accidentally' driving over deer -- I've been driving thru the woods!!! Mystery solved!!!! Thank you - I guess I'll stop doing that.....was my problem all along....thanks for clearing that up for me! Excellent point also - to compare intentionally going back to this parking lot, knowing exactly where these ducks were, somehow manage to 'accidentally' run over them - when every one of the other THOUSANDS of people who drive thru this McDonalds Parking lot while those ducks have nested there & managed NOT to have accidentally run over them...to hitting a deer that has run into the road, in front of a moving car, unable to stop, in a flash of a second..... Brilliant....just Brilliant..... I am curious what your defense will be once this TORTURER moves onto children (as he can surely overpower them to feel big & powerful -- or maybe the elderly - as he could probably take my 85yr old grandmother)..... What then?? Interesting that you seem to be comfortable having this kid living in your neighborhood, around your family & friends......because I WOULDN'T. You are actually encouraging him by promoting any living creature being intentionally killed as 'road kill'...... Would his neighbor's 4 year old be considered 'road kill' after they accidentally kick their ball into his yard and he finds that unacceptable....and kills them for it???? This scenario is equivalent to what you are comparing here...... Enough already..... If he were caught with a joint - would probably be in jail for a few years! I'm not afraid of someone out there with drugs -- but this guy, with pshycological issues like this -- WILL RAPE OR MURDER ME......just a matter of time..... and I AM afraid of that person just walking around on the streets with me......

shipdog7

Sat, May 7, 2011 : 2:53 a.m.

I still have nightmares about running over a remote controlled car that came up out of nowhere and I couldn't stop in time. The guy was racing it across the road. From a sidewalk. I looked in my rear view mirror and wondered whether I should stop or not. If that car was expensive he might have kicked my old.......

Jack Gladney

Fri, May 6, 2011 : 7:37 a.m.

WHAT on EARTH does the make and model of a vehicle have to do with this story? If this guy did this, it doesn't matter if he did it with an SUV or a dirt bike. That is like reporting the brand of pepper spray the cop in Texas used to attack that baby squirrel. What has become of the Ann Arbor News?

Roadman

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 10:53 p.m.

Does anyone know if the Pearce family got their Hummer back? Keeping it in impound while the criminal case proceeds would be a real kick in the pants to them.

djm12652

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 5:42 p.m.

Isn't this kid aspiring to be a pro hockey player? That could be a viable defense...duck checking into the curb? We all know there has never been a propensity for agressive behavior in hockey so there you go....and just how much free advertising is this law-ya gonna get? shut up already, and pursue this through the legal system, instead of pleading the case through any media whatsoever.

Bertha Venation

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 5:05 p.m.

Seems by reading the comments, most of the people feel the same way. IMHO... Poor little rich boy. I wish his entire family would leave town. Maybe our real estate market would come back!

Roadman

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 4:45 p.m.

Hey. Twenty years from now Dillon Pearce will likely be a successful Wall Street investment banker and laughing about this event with his friends.

Ross

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 4:36 p.m.

This story is not only getting way too much attention in Ann Arbor. It is flying all over the interwebz. Check out the let-me-google-that-for-you link that some else posted using only this guys name. Must be 200 hits on various blogs and news sites picking this story up. An every single one has a hundred comments BLASTING this guy. Feels pretty deserved to me. Hopefully this will be a humbling and growing experience for him, and not a source of embitterment. Check out the comments on this site though, just brutal! <a href="http://www.truecrimereport.com/2011/04/dillon_pearce_19_purposely_run.php" rel='nofollow'>http://www.truecrimereport.com/2011/04/dillon_pearce_19_purposely_run.php</a>

mlivesaline

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 4:14 p.m.

This kid is an immature menace to society and needs to clean his act up quickly.

lumberg48108

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 2:41 p.m.

150+ comments about a story about a teen age idiot who ran over some birds ... as I said - only in Ann Arbor u would think bin Laden was hiding at that McDonald's for how much people are invested in this story ... he is moron - he did a stupid thing and he will pay for it - but this is not a capital crime I am guessing the people that were in the news that embezzled thousands of dollars did not get this much attenion hate mail? my god people, get lives! (and u dont think he was threatened?)

FredMax

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 2:03 p.m.

I hear that a hideout in Pakistan just came on the market; safe from hatemail.

hiker1546

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 12:30 p.m.

Did the people commenting about &quot;roadkill&quot; even read the original story? This isn't a case of unintention roadkill. This man was at the McDonald's to get some food, he handled the ducklings, he was reprimanded by other people for handling the ducks, he got ticked off and left, then he returned and ran over the ducks. He already knew they were there as he had handled them! If you don't want to get hate mail, then don't do something that shows your hate for other people (in this case the people who reprimanded you).

Awakened

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 11:41 a.m.

Well if the defense attorney say it then it must be true.

OLDTIMER3

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 10:29 a.m.

Most of you don't remember that killing a duck out of season by any method is a FEDERAL OFFENSE. Look at the case a few years ago where a man was arrested for killing a duck by hitting it with a golf ball he hit towards the lake. It struck the duck in the head and everyone claimed it was intentional. Now I think that man should have been a professional golfer if he could hit a ball that accurately. What I am saying is let the courts decide. If it was a family of raccoons we most likely wouldn't even be reading about it.

5c0++ H4d13y

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 10:17 a.m.

Much like the Duke Lacrosse case this person it the &quot;perfect offender&quot;.

YouWhine

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 3:47 a.m.

There is no story here. The kid has a prelim and his lawyer asked for an adjournment. Pretty standard. And given the attention this case got, he will continue to ask for more. The more time you put between an (alleged) offense and a (possible) trial, the more likely you are to damage the proxecution's case. Think about it. Their best witnesses are the McDonald's employees. The defense attorney probably looks at these as being low-paid moron transients who will not remain at one employer for long. The more times you drag them to court for an adjournmment, the less likely they are to show up next time. Then there is the public opinion thing. Harming an animal in A2 is tantamount to killing a cop in the rest of the U.S. The public is out for this kid's blood. Best to let the public outcry die down before going to court. Plus this defense attorney puts the Washtenaw County judicial system in a quandry. The Washtenaw County judicial system is set up - as a whole - to be PRO defendant. But when you give them a defendant accused of something as horrible as killing baby ducks the judges' heads will likely explode. And please do not forget that this defense attorney needs to put as much time as possible between a possible verdict in the duck case and the &quot;destroy a cop car and poop on it&quot; case in which the defendant likely is on probation which will be ending any day now. As long as he is not on probation, the Washtenaw County system will likely offer him HYTA. Again. So all this story is is (more) free publicity for the defense attorney. There was no story here, but the defense got to create one with the alleged (remember, attorneys, nobody is guilty until proven so) hate mail. Just like how last week the defense came out with their very own story about how this kid is hoping to be a pro hockey player. (Guess what... if you were any good at hockey you would already be someplace at 19. You wouldn't be bumming around A2 in Mommy's hummer).

Basic Bob

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 3:46 a.m.

I guess putting a turd on top of a police car was not enough, he had to move up to running over ducks.

loves_fall

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 2:45 a.m.

Why is it surprising or disturbing that people with publicly available addresses would receive hate mail for allegedly targeting ducklings for destruction? People get hate mail for everything else, including expressing opinions that are a lot less emotionally charged than the action of killing baby animals, so it's unclear to me why this would be an exception.

Roadman

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 2:30 a.m.

David Nacht has earned a reputation as a powerful Democratic Party political insider in Washtenaw County. He is one of the heaviest Democratic Party contributors in Ann Arbor. He has pumped tens of thousands of dollars into political action, party and candidate committees according to Michigan Secretary of State and Federal Election Commission downloadable at michigan.gov and newsmeat.com. Eighty-seven contributions were recorded by SOS and the FEC had over thirty. These include donations to judicial candidates at the District, Court of Appeals and Michigan Supreme Court levels. Nacht has run himself to State Representative office and had raised $172,000 in funds for an attempted run in 2008 for U.S. Congress. His donors included such local heavyweights as Joan Lowenstein, Leah Gunn, Douglas Shapiro, Leigh Greden, and Conan Smith. It must be comforting to Pearce's parents that their son has hired such a well-connected attorney to defend these proceedings.

Jen Eyer

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 2:02 a.m.

Comments were removed for calling for illegal punishments, and for making allegations that go beyond the facts reported in this case.

pbehjatnia

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 1:45 a.m.

The 'But I'm the Victim here.....,' defense is worn and pathetic.

Arboriginal

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 1:41 a.m.

Let's talk about the Brewer's property. No......Really. Let's talk about it.

actionjackson

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 1:14 a.m.

Suprised the lawyer didn't say he was &quot;preparing pressed duck&quot; for the nights dinner.

EyeHeartA2

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 1:08 a.m.

OK. Let's do a little role playing here: You are the college recruiter or potential employer. As is now part of the due diligence any employer does, you google Dillon Pearce. Patents? Awards? National Honor Society? .....or a cup of poop dumped on a cop car and four dead ducks. Follow the link below and see for yourself. <a href="http://lmgtfy.com/?q=dillon+pearce" rel='nofollow'>http://lmgtfy.com/?q=dillon+pearce</a>

RJA

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 12:56 a.m.

After reading all comments, I still wonder if either Nacht or the suspect even (REALLY) got hate mail. I guess it would sound good in court. Do either have proof to take to court?

goblue16

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 12:56 a.m.

This lawyer appears very ignorant to me based on his comments. I agree it appears to be a major PR move, but his statements are just absolute nonsense.

Huron74

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 12:45 a.m.

Just remember folks that the lawyer's comments are likely part of a PR campaign on behalf of his client and nothing more. The last part of his comment about &quot;let[ting] the case work its way through the court&quot; is fine and dandy. Let it play out. I doubt if a delay will change anything much.

Townie

Thu, May 5, 2011 : 12:06 a.m.

Come on gang - we can make a run at the highest number of deleted comments here! Keep'em coming.

Ash

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 10:09 p.m.

So, what did the hate mail say? &quot;I hate it that he ran over those ducklings.&quot; Or something like that? If the lawyer is trying to garner sympathy, I think it's not working. A lot of times people who intentionally do things like this play a game of getting sympathy to get off the hook. If that's what's happening and he is guilty of intentionally doing this, I hope it doesn't work this time.

Peter Jameson

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 10:02 p.m.

This is not newsworthy.

Blue

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 9:31 p.m.

Disturbing? Let's clarify for Mr. Nacht exactly what is disturbing. A 19 year old who intentionally runs over baby animals is disturbing - An attorney who's a paid mouthpeice trying to pull a spin routine on all of us, is disturbing! Shame on you again!

WalkingJoe

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 9:24 p.m.

I think hate mail is not justified for any reason. I feel what he is accused of if vile but by sending hate mail you are stooping to the same level.

Speazo

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 9:18 p.m.

I may have missed something here, but I thought in the original story that came out, the driver of the Hummer was arrested AFTER the other occupants in the car were interviewed by the police. Which lead me to believe they have enough evidence (beyond the ducklings) to make the arrest. But now Mr. Nacht is stating that &quot;he's sorry that police are pursuing the case despite receiving statements from other people in the Hummer that it was unintentional.&quot; So which is it? Wishy washy teenagers going back and forth on what they remember or want to remember? Or just a big silly misunderstanding? Sad part is, even if he is found guilty of intentionally running over the duckings, he will probably end up having that reduced to a traffic ticket for not using his turn signal while doing it. This is Washtenaw County Courts we are talking about.

15crown00

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 9:14 p.m.

i guess it's all about political correctness.DUCKS? Give me a break.

Kai Petainen

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 8:46 p.m.

Hate mail (note -- I'm not talking about violent threats) is quite common. It happens to most people that are in the public eye somehow. It's not a matter of being in 'good standing' or not with the public, as you'll never appease everyone. It would be naieve of me to assume that politicians and those in ann arbor's government never get hate mail. in some ways, it could be argued that it's a part of the job... in that you won't make everyone happy and you have to have a thick skin to handle it. but if a politician was to complain about the hate mail, then it would make them look worse. long time ago i had an interview where i complained about 5 stocks. eventually, 4 of those stocks collapsed and i was right. but at the time, my personal info was posted online, i got hatemail, people called me names, phone calls would come and hangup.... and... although i appreciated criticism, the hate mail was of poor taste. as long as people aren't threatening violence, learn to deal with the free speech exercised by others.

Jim

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 8:39 p.m.

He and his family will most likely have to move away from Ann Arbor after this.

zip the cat

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 8:21 p.m.

Just everyday lawyer mumbo jumbo. Did anyone expect him to say anything else. I can't for the life of me understand why he received hate mail,I/we think its pretty obvious why he is getting it. You need to smarten up there mr lawyer. All,ALL lawyers lie for there client

javajolt1

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 8:14 p.m.

This is Ann Arbor, Michigan. People grant others a LOT of leeway for a LOT of things...... ......running over baby ducks isn't one of them. Talk about pouring gasoline on a grass fire. He'd have been better off robbing a liquor store in this town.

Dog Guy

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 8:05 p.m.

Despite all the signs, sometimes the deer comes from the left side of the road. Now that this is a legal case, innocence is to be presumed even in Ann Arbor.

UM owns

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 7:49 p.m.

This statement by his attorney is actually going to result in MORE hate mail.

Christy Summerfield

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 7:46 p.m.

I'd be surprised if he and his lawyer weren't receiving hate mail. Nacht is really pushing it by comparing deliberately running over ducklings to accidently hitting a deer. Sadly, racoons, squirrels, skunks etc. are often hit by people who don't intentionally do it. Cats and dogs are also hit by cars. This I blame on careless pet owners however. This was a horrifying incident, comparable rather to someone abusing a dog or setting fire to a cat. I have to wonder if this man has a history of abusing animals. I'm a therapist and I know that people who abuse animals often go on to abuse people. This is not a situation to be taken lightly.

RuralMom

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 7:42 p.m.

Just asking a question here, I could be wrong! Wouldn't the clearence allow for the Hummer to pass OVER the ducklings? Meaning he would have had to intentionally aim his TIRES in order to get the deed done? I am just looking for ways to prove or disprove all that is presented.

Kai Petainen

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 7:37 p.m.

On this same page there is an article called... &quot;nice weather for ducks&quot;. how ironic

Dave66

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 7:34 p.m.

I can't decide if the mug shot is epic fail or epic win. Fail for him, win for the rest of us. Either way, it's epic.

Rebecca

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 7:34 p.m.

This story has gone global and it seems Ann Arbor isn't the only place that dislikes this man and this story <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1381447/Dillon-Pearce-accused-deliberately-running-4-ducklings-HUMMER.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1381447/Dillon-Pearce-accused-deliberately-running-4-ducklings-HUMMER.html</a>

nowayjose

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 7:31 p.m.

Ill bet if I paid Mr. Nacht enough, he'd say he did it on purpose.

pegret

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 7:26 p.m.

Chelsea girl, I've been trying to figure out who that mug shot reminded me of, when it finally came to me. He looks just like Spencer Pratt from &quot;The Hills&quot;! Hmmmm....

xfdragon

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 7:24 p.m.

Such a sad little pouty face he looks so innocent!! He could be in the movies with that look....

Brian Betts

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 7:24 p.m.

This sounds like it wasn't an incident of roadkill. Road kill is accidental, and while it is sad, I also don't think it should be prosecuted. That being said, it seems to me the whole crux of this case is whether or not this young man purposely killed the ducks. If he drove out of the McDonalds lot across from Plymouth Rd. Mall, and then re-entered the lot to crush the ducks, then drove off again, well, it just seems to smack of a disturbed young man's intentional actions. I wasn't there, so I can't say for sure though. His past criminal history suggests he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, nor an innocent one. Bottom line: If this kid purposely killed the ducks, then it isn't roadkill, its animal cruelty and abuse. Mr. Nacht, last time I checked, that was a prosecutable offense in this state.

Erica

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 7:21 p.m.

Last time I checked a family of ducklings weren't ROADKILL. Until this guy decided to run them over that is. Ducklings aren't quick moving like deer but are slow paced animals so don't go comparing deer to ducks here. He knew the location of the ducklings and the fact that he hit and killed them shows his lack of concern or attention for others and if you ask me...intention! So what if he is getting hate mail? If I knew his address I'd probably write a letter too.

redwingshero

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 7:20 p.m.

I think the bigger question is why was a 19yr old allowed to run over ducks while driving his parents Hummer? Unless you subscribe to the opinion that a 19yr old legally obtained and owns a Hummer.....I'm sure he is on the up and up right?

dmkellman

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 7:18 p.m.

&quot;Nacht said people hit deer all the time in Michigan...&quot; There's a difference between a deer running out in front of you and turning the steering wheel towards baby ducks. Besides, baby ducks are way cuter. Also, an article on the guy receiving hate mail? Shocker! This just in: I had a ham sandwich for lunch today. Tune in at 11 to find out what kind of cheese was used!

alan

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 7:04 p.m.

Lawyers get paid to lie.

Marvin Face

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 6:53 p.m.

Something tells me that if he were driving a Prius he would not be receiving hate mail.

jeepinkev

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 6:50 p.m.

What I don't get is why people on here are automatically jumping to the conclusion that the accused IS guilty. Everyone is innocent UNTIL PROVEN guilty in a Court of Law, is that right? All the article says is &quot;Ann Arbor police say Pearce intentionally ran over the ducklings in the parking lot...&quot;. Who are we to trust what police say?? Was there video evidence? Were there witnesses? Who knows. The information is not here. I am not agreeing or disagreeing with anyone, I just think that because an incident involving ducklings happened, that people automatically think the accused is guilty. What would happen if insted of ducklings, it was an opossum, raccoon or a wild pig...or Sasquatch for that matter?

Goofus

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 6:45 p.m.

The quickest way to stop the hate mail would've been for Nacht to settle the case and get his client's face out of the newspapers and news.

leezee

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 6:38 p.m.

Well, if the other people in the Hummer said it was an accident, then it must have been. The fact that he went BACK to the lot knowing the approximate location of the ducks and then hit them is what makes me think it was intentional. And please don't compare hitting a duck with hitting a deer. Deer get hit because they run into the road. You'd have to be a bonehead to hit slow-moving duckling (actually 4 ducklings!) in a parking lot accidentally........it's not like you're going too fast to stop.

Alan Goldsmith

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 6:32 p.m.

Nacht is a great attorney. Not sure if this is going to help his business but I'd hired him in a second if I needed a heavy-duty lawyer. While the results of this legal issue remains to be seen, just write about some tragedy with cute animals or someone on a bike being cut off by a car and here comes the lynch mob. Matching green shirts anyone?

ChelseaGirl

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 6:27 p.m.

Oh boo hoo! He's getting hate mail. Stay in good standings when out in public and you wouldnt get the hate mail. Best mug shot I've seen in a long time.

John A2

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 6:22 p.m.

One question to Nacht: Why was he the only one who hit the animals that he clearly knew were there and to drive carefully like all the other people did? McDonalds is a real busy place at 6:30pm. So, please tell.

John of Saline

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 6:16 p.m.

&quot;despite receiving statements from other people in the Hummer that it was unintentional.&quot; Yeah, 'cause his buddies are sure to be the honest ones here.

lumberg48108

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 6:13 p.m.

this is ann arbor ... remember when the animals at the Detroit Zoo were born (dont recall the species) and the zookeeper, an Ohio State grad, wanted to name them after OSU people ... U-M (Ann Arborites) complained and vowed to withhold donations if such a travesty were to happen after that episode, NOTHING in this town surprises me much less threatening a HUMAN life for the deat of a few birds

Steve in MI

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 6:11 p.m.

&quot;Hate mail&quot; is never a classy move, but I don't expect anyone in this town to be moved to sympathy for either the alleged animal abuser or for his attorney. And really, how much time does it take to prepare a case that says &quot;but he didn't mean to!&quot; ?!?

Foolery

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 6:11 p.m.

Sorry, Nacht. If roadkill is caused by malice, negligence, or with intent, then there should certainly be some prosecution and consequences.

Craig Lounsbury

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 6:10 p.m.

&quot;He encouraged people to let the case work its way through the court system before making judgments.&quot; In which case why are you working the case through the media?

genericreg

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 6:07 p.m.

way not to get hate mail is not be in public for unthinking choice

cinnabar7071

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 6:05 p.m.

Your right Nacht this is disturbing.

Craig Lounsbury

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 6:03 p.m.

I once sent a letter to the editor suggesting the Big House was a public nuisance and received hate mail after it was published. Another time I sent a letter to the editor suggesting the sign carrying planes that circled the Big House were not a danger to security, rather the last line of defense against a suicide plane attack. It was published and I received hate mail then too. Disturbing? Some people just like to write hate mail.

Macabre Sunset

Wed, May 4, 2011 : 6 p.m.

Sorry, Nacht, not buying the revisionism. I suppose that statement qualifies as &quot;hate mail&quot; too, right?