(Jackson gets another reprieve)…The ruling was announced Thursday.
The El Centro City Councilman had entered a guilty plea to Felony Cruelty to animals late last year. Jason Jackson is now trying to reverse the ten-day jail sentence issued as a result of the plea. Tuesday the 4th District Court of Appeals denied Jackson’s appeal to grant him a writ of mandate forcing the County Superior Court to allow Jackson to challenge the validity of the guilty plea. Jackson was back in Superior Court Wednesday, but the Judge said he needed more time to study the issues. Thursday the Judge announced his ruling. He said despite the fact that two appeals had been denied as frivolous, he was going to give Jackson the benefit of the doubt. The judge gave the councilman a 60 reprieve on the implementation of the ten-day jail sentence and the 5-year probation, to allow Jackson to file another appeal. The judge also allowed Jackson to have his cat back, but refused to allow him to have his horse back. The judge said the entire issue surrounded Jackson’s guilty plea to have starved, and otherwise mistreated his horse in the first place.