A jury was picked Tuesday for the trial of a University of Scranton senior accused of stabbing to death a stray cat and throwing it in a garbage can near his Hill Section home.
Because of a heavy court docket and out-of-town judicial conferences this week, testimony in the case against Peter Freshour, 21, will not begin until Monday.
To whittle down the jury pool of about 75 Lackawanna County residents to 12 jurors, Assistant District Attorney Michael Goffer and Mr. Freshour's attorney Paul Walker of Scranton quizzed candidates about their love - or hate - of felines.
Mr. Goffer touched off a brief debate among a few residents - who were identified by numbers to ensure their anonymity during the one hour jury selection process - when he asked if they believed it was a crime to kill a cat.
"This is what the charge is all about," said Mr. Goffer of the one misdemeanor count of cruelty to animals Scranton police filed against Mr. Freshour in August.
Two men said they didn't think it was a crime to kill a cat.
One argued it was more of an ethical issue than a criminal matter. The other said it may be justified because a stray could carry disease.
According to city police, witnesses said they saw Mr. Freshour lure the cat toward him, then stab it multiple times even after it tried to get away. Neighbors told police the cat was friendly, and people in the neighborhood fed it.
Mr. Walker contended the cat attacked Mr. Freshour and clung to his leg.
Worried that the feline was rabid, Mr. Freshour first tried to shake it off his leg, then stabbed it.
Mr. Freshour suffers from a disease that makes him more susceptible to illnesses carried by stray cats, Mr. Walker said.
The trial before Judge Michael J. Barrasse is expected to last one to two days.
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