Trial is set to begin next week in the case of a Mäkaha woman charged with cruelty to animals after she beat a peacock to death with a baseball bat.

Sandra Maloney's motions to dismiss the case were denied this morning by Circuit Judge Michael Wilson.

Wilson said trial in the misdemeanor case will begin Dec. 9.

Defense lawyer Randall Oyama said he needs to consult with his client about whether she wants to go to trial in the case.

Oyama had asked Wilson to dismiss the case, arguing that the cruelty to animals statute does not apply to peacocks and that the state does not require a permit for killing one of the animals.

Maloney, a resident of the Makaha Valley Towers condominium complex, has said that the piercing cries of peacocks, which roam free in the area, deprived her of sleep and drove her to take desperate measures.