On The Run

Cheating justice: Man who poisoned his neighbors' dogs fails to show forsentencing, leaving animal lovers outraged

Charlotte Liberda (left) and an assistant DA wait for Qian Feng to show up forsentencing.
Photo by Katie Oxford
The court room sign about taking it looked ironic as the dog poisoning man nevershowed.
Photo by Katie Oxford
Charlotte Liberda talks to a large media contingent afterwards.
Photo by Katie Oxford
Dog lovers and friends of Liberda came out in droves for the sentencing.
Photo by Katie Oxford

Charlotte Liberda and her attorney showed up in Harris County Criminal Court on Friday to hear the sentencing of Qian Feng, who had pleaded guilty to poisoning her dogs. Friends and supporters showed up too.

So many in fact that the group was asked to move into the hallway until the sentencing took place.

About an hour later they were called back into the courtroom, but unfortunately no sentencing took place. The only person who had not shown up was Feng.

“Well, I was going to celebrate it today. The sentencing was going to be my birthday present.”

Feng plead guilty to animal cruelty charges last month, admitting to poisoning several dogs in his neighborhood, including Liberda's, with cheese balls laced with strychnine — a strong, odorless poison. He faced anywhere from six months to two years in prison before his no show. Additional time likely will be added to that now if Feng is found.

Judge Denise Bradley declared, “Bond is forfeited. Issue a warrant for his arrest.” A large sign in Bradley's courtroom reads "COME AND TAKE IT", words that rang hollow on a day when man who preyed on defenseless animals failed to show to accept his fate.

Afterwards, reporters circled around Charlotte asking her questions. In typical Charlotte style, she articulated her feelings of disappointment with poise. Thursday was Charlotte’s birthday but she had held off from celebrating.

“Well,” she told me, “I was going to celebrate it today. The sentencing was going to be my birthday present.”

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”